Single hen

[mariamasher]

Would be grateful for advice - am I a bad mother?

 

We have had our two hens for two weeks, a black star and a goldine. They were kept in their run for the first week and I now have them free range in the garden for 2 hours when I get home at night and also all weekend where possible.

 

The black star has started to pace furiously up and down the run as soon as they come out of the eglu and this goes on for some time, and possibly often during the day. She looks like a possessed crazy woman, and to see her do this is breaking my heart.

 

I put treats in the run every morning and there are perches, pecker blocks etc in there, so I don't think it has anything to do with boredom, I think she just wants to be out in the garden.

 

What should be my next move? Should I carry on with my routine in the hope that she settles, or should I try and re-home her with someone who freeranges? The goldine seems fine but this evening I noticed that she has started to adopt the same behaviour.

 

Please help, I'm very saddened by this behaviour.

[Cooks]

they are very good at trying to make you feel guilty, she will be fine Mine do this they run their beaks down the wire like prisoners on the bars.. it sounds to me like everythings fine, I am no expert but I wouldn't worry if it were me.

[mariamasher]

Thanks, I feel like I'm subjecting her to psychological trauma... she was very easy to hold for the first week, but now runs a mile. Maybe that is just to do with her getting older and clever. I feel like she is too smart to be locked up all day.

 

Is there any info about chicken IQ and how to break their patterns? Just how smart are they? Anyone know?

[Cooks]

if you really worry about them being locked up you could give them more room by adding a convertor/extention to the run. This way both of them would have a little more room and you may feel a little happier when you cannot be there to let them out?

[mariamasher]

You know me so well already! I added a run extension last weekend, so I think I just need to learn to live with the guilt trips. Thanks for your advice cookie

[Cooks]

your welcome

[Hen Watch]

They are cleverer than you think....

 

My lot seem happy in their run doing chicken stuff, until they see me at the kitchen window and then they pace up and down. Same happens if I've been to work and come back home. They can hear the garage door bang down when I put the car away and start pacing.

 

I have been known to duck down and hide in the kitchen so they can't see me... For example, last Tuesday, I came home from work late but only had 10 mins before school run, so I made a quick coffee but didn't want to let the chickens out for a just a few mins only to be put away again. So I hid...... unbelievable for a grown woman !!!

[Cooks]

I talk to mine like they are people, my neighbours will think I have lost the plot. I say sorry you cant come out just now, I have to go get ****** from school.. etc etc

[Chickvic]

I talk to mine like they are people, my neighbours will think I have lost the plot. I say sorry you cant come out just now, I have to go get ****** from school.. etc etc

 

I do that too I've got to pop to the shops - you can come out when I get back. Be about 10 mins

[Cooks]

that's me to a T

[Guest]

Our 3 chooks are very happy scratching around too ... until they spot us looking out of a window, whereby they start nagging to be let out! They have a standard eglu and run attached to a 6’ x 8’ x 5’ pen and when we walk out the house they throw themselves at the fence as if desperate for air! They’ve got logs and perches and a hedge to peck ... but they act so desperate – and sometimes their guilt trip works!

 

And yes I too chatter away to the girls ... and they chatter back! (and if the neighbours have heard me, they’ve been too polite to comment!)

[Plum]

When mine are out in the garden they have a huge area to enjoy but sometimes they still pace up and down the netting. Never happy are they

[jill the potter]

I agree, I too feel sooo guilty when they pace up and down the run, but have to say they don't seem to do it until they hear the back door handle!!! Also, even when they are let out to free range and have a small bit of fence to stop them pooping on the patio (which means they have 7 eighths of the garden!!!!) they still pace up and down. It's their inbuilt desire for food/treats!!

 

Don't let them guilt-trip you - I thought cats were good, but the chickens sure take the biscuit, or anything else they might want!!! Just think of those poor battery hens who only have an area the size of an A4 piece of paper!!!

[skye]

Don't worry Maria at all. It is perfectly normal chickeny behaviour. We call it 'the dance' ('they're doing the dance out there again').

 

You've bought a run extension and they're now pacing at the end of that. Rest assured we built ours a huge walk-in run, and guess what? yep, they pace up and down at the end of that too... and if they're in the garden behind the netting with absolutely tons of space behind them... they pace up and down right next to the netting, ignoring all the free-ranging they have behind them.

 

For our girls, with their little chickeny brains the size of peanuts (I have no idea if this is true or just myth!), the grass is always greener on the other side.

 

Usually because they've pecked and scratched all the grass on the side they are on

 

Cheers

Skye x

[mariamasher]

Ha, thanks all for your responses, at least I know its not just me with mad pacy chooks. I just hope my neighbours don't think I'm cruel - most of them are happy, but one neighbour I've spoken to thinks that keeping chickens is clearly madness - they are on my list for the first box of eggs, hopefully that will help.

 

Thanks again. I spent the evening trawling the forum and it really is wonderful for new chicken keepers, all my questions have been answered either by lovely people like yourselves, or by reading other threads. I'll be back!

[alih]

Cookiemonster you made me laugh with your image of the chickens acting like prisoners making noises with the bars - imagined them with little tiny tin cups to clatter up and down

[Cooks]

that's it!! that's exactly the image! they are crazy girls, but only do it when they see me through the kitchen window or when I come out the back door, otherwise if I peek at them, they are happily scratching around..

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Cookiemonster you made me laugh with your image of the chickens acting like prisoners making noises with the bars - imagined them with little tiny tin cups to clatter up and down

 

Do you not give yours tiny tin cups then ....best I remove mine.....

 

Mine also are fine until they hear the back door - and there is absolutely no way I can open it quietly if it's been shut properly in the first place They climb over each other, squawk at each other & shriek at me, quite hysterical to watch...and yes mine are talked to too!

"Yes yes yes I'm coming, you'll have to make the most of this time I've got to **** in half an hour so not silly business and Buffie that wasn't nice, don't peck Snowdrop...." etc etc etc

 

My neighbour doesn't beat around the bush, he just tells me straight I'm mad

 

Sha x

[alih]

We all do it!

 

And they say pets are good for one's mental heath!