Single hen

[AJuff]

Please bear with me . .

 

I have a cube with extended run which used to butt up against a walk in run. I liked it that way as the walk in run only gets sun until lunchtime whereas the cube run gets sun all afternoon. I covered the run with taupaulin to keep it dry but it made the walk in run look darkish. I let the chooks into the main garden all weekend and after work during the week.

 

That all changed when DD and DS moaned about hen poo and OH moaned about them scratching up the lawn. So after a bout of hen envy seeing my sisters chooks with more space and grass I decided to open up the side garden to the hens (very sloping). I removed the cube run and put the cube into the walk in run to make space for a vegetable bed in the main garden. OH begrudgingly put up some posts and a fence to keep them from wandering behind tha garage and onto the housing estate.

 

They initially loved the side garden and my raised bed until wanderlust set in and they cleared the side fence. I have had the Amber stars and the sussex stars wandering around the front garden, round the car and laying eggs in the lavendar bush beside the front door surprising the postman! They have also attracted attention from youth!!

 

I kept them in the walk in run today and they laid 1 egg in protest!!! So what now? Do I ban them from grass altogether?? Keep them in the run all the time? Go back to the set up I had before but put a clear roof on? Buy an electric fence to keep them in the side garden? And exactly how much space and grass should a chook have?

[Redwing]

Personally my choices would be either:

 

1) electric fence

2) Clear roof on original set up

 

If your girls are used to being out and you feel guilty about keeping them in a WIR you may be best going for the electric fence

 

Could reinforcements be made to the existing fence to avoid the purchase of an electric one?

[AJuff]

Well the side fence where they are flying over (clipped wing made no difference) is a wall with railings on it which makes it difficult to build up from.

[dancing cloud]

Are they flying over the wall from a distance, or hopping onto it from below?

 

I stopped my little rabble from networking the neighbourhood via the dilapidated back fence (not mine) by putting netting a couple of feet in front of it. This stopped them getting close enough to escape up and over, much to the neighbours' relief (though they're probably tunnelling under as we speak! ).

 

Might be worth a try?

[AJuff]

Now there's a thought! If i put the netting infront of the raised bed then i might even be able to reclaim that whilst keeping them in!!

 

Interesting that I have only had one egg since shutting them up in the walk in run two days ago!!!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

They're good at inducing feelings of guilt, aren't they .

 

It sounds like a plan to just put plastic on your cube run if they were happy in that setup beforehand.

[AJuff]

A hen friend is popping over for coffee in the morning to have a look at my set up and offer advice. It's very difficult to explain to others who haven't seen my garden as it's on different levels and slopes.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That must be one clever chicken if she can offer advice . Mine can't even hold a conversation with me .

[Chook n Boo Mum]

That must be one clever chicken if she can offer advice . Mine can't even hold a conversation with me .

 

Mine just shout at me if I don't feed them enough on time etc !!!

 

Sha x

[AJuff]

Ho Ho!!

[HENthusiastic]

That must be one clever chicken if she can offer advice . Mine can't even hold a conversation with me .

 

 

 

 

AJuff; sounds like we need some piccis eh so we can fully understand and offer advice.

[AJuff]

Will submit photos tomorrow!! Would love it if you can help.

[Plum]

You have a lot of hens They probably make a hen pyramid to get over.

Look forward to seeing your options.