Kalu Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Hello, Our and all arrived today, they are currently tucked up for the night and hopefully nice and cosy together. I have a horrible fear that one day I will forget to let them out before I head off to work (I work in the office 3 days and from home the other 2). Has anyone done this? Were the consequences awful? I am sure I won't do it as it is my biggest worry at the moment but am wondering whether it would be better to leave the door open just in case? hmmmmmm the trials of being a mother hen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 OK, I'll be first and admit I have done this once. I forgot to open the doors on 2 Eglus, both on the same day. I normally leave the Eglu doors either fully open or ajar depending on the weather. The chickens have learnt to push the door open and get out themselves if the door is ajar. On one particular night we had very low temperatures forcast so I shut the doors fully and locked them, I don't know why I locked the doors as well as the Chickens can push the door open even if it is fully closed. I get home from work between 3.15pm and 3.45pm, so that is when they were let out. I was riddled with guilt for ages afterwards and now check twice before I leave for work in the morning. The chickens seemed unfazed by their ordeal and casually wandered out of the Eglus. This incident happened this year so I had been a perfect poultry keeper for 4 years until then. I would have been very concerned if it had been in the summer as the girls would have been cooped up all day when it was warm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I've not forgotten to open the door however I did used to leave the Eglu door slightly ajar for the girls to barge out of (I now leave it wide open at all times) and one day it was pushed shut behind a laying hen who was released much later in the day by me and who was extremely cheesed off to say the least Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Congratulations on your new arrivals Kalu. I'm sure you won't forget. I have to say that as soon as I wake up my first thought is "shall I open up the chickens" and whilst I am in the shower I think "hurry up chickens need opening up in 5 mins". I find that I open up the chickens at the expense of getting my childrens packed lunches done or even getting dressed (I pad out to the garden at 7.30am in my dressing gown, open up the chickens and then go back to bed ) When I got my eglu exactly 2 years ago, I used to keep the door open 24/7 and so that is an option for you if you want. However, I did have an incident of 4am wake up calls in high summer and opted to keep them shut in until 7.30am which did the trick. Anyway I'm sure you will be fine and won't forget to open them up in the morning. And if you do, they will soon tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 it does worry me a swell but my first waking thought which used to be cup of coffee is now chickens off tomorrow until 14th so I can chicken watch Now been a chicken mom for 4 weeks Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 So far no problem with opening the Eglu and Cubes - the noise is enough to remind everyone if I'm later than they think is suitable! I have however had one incidence of the Eglu door being shut by a nervous DD when egg collecting & not reopened....resulting in a heap of sleepy feathers in the corner of the run! And the WIR door was blown shut with 3 Batties inside & everyone else outside, fortunately the need to lay was not as urgent as it might have been (and the Eglu nestbox was free!) Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I have to say I have not forgotten to open the and yet but I have only been a back garden chook keeper since November. I now get up at 7am, a hour earlier than i used to so that I can let the chooks out and fix their breakfast if it is porridge day (they don`t get it at same time everyday). Once they are in the WIR, water has been replenished, grubs topped up, quick poo pick and a chat i toddle back up the garden and think about coffee and my breakfast Your very first thought in the morning will be chooks and the last at night will be chooks. You will find yourself out shopping and whereas previously you would of thought "that tub would be good for storing the kids snacks in the fridge" you will now "think that tub would be great for the girls meal worms" lol! There has been one occasion where I was late letting them out (night out before ) and lets just say Gin made it clear she was not happy!!! I think the whole cul de sac knew that Gin was not happy! And I swear she ignored me all day! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busybird Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I am not a morning person but my OH is and never forgets to put food in the run and open the Eglu door before he leaves for work at 6.15am However, on occasion, we have a late night followed by a morning when we really do not want to get up I find that I somehow manage to go to release the chooks and then crawl back to bed. I do worry when I go out in the day if I have forgotten to check before I go that they have enough pellets and clean water. They are rather good at training their humans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I once did the reverse. I was wiping out the Eglu quickly and didn't want help from the hens, so left them in the run and shut the Eglu door. It stayed shut, and when I went to put them away they were all slumped in a heap outside the door. I had to poke them gently with a stick to rouse them from their slumber so I could get the door open for them to go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I once did the reverse. I was wiping out the Eglu quickly and didn't want help from the hens, so left them in the run and shut the Eglu door. It stayed shut, and when I went to put them away they were all slumped in a heap outside the door. I had to poke them gently with a stick to rouse them from their slumber so I could get the door open for them to go in. err... Ditto here Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tidygirlsuk Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I had a dilema this morning, I couldn't find the back door key, and no window is big enough to climb out of, except 1 window which is locked with an alan key. Panic I ran around next door with grub and glug and explained what had happened to my neighbour who was on her way to the gym. She let me out to back to climb over the wall. Little did i know that after i jumped over to mine she locked her back door and went out. arrrh ! i was banging on her door with no reply. so i jump back over mine and i can see my boys waiting for me at the front door waiting to go to school. i was banging the door shouting 'GET DADDY' Chris came down a looked at me like i was mad and said 'how did you get locked out there?' then having explained again he went and found an alan key an unlocked the large window. School was like a ghost town when i finally go there, not a mom in site. I found the key and can laugh about it now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 That sounds like a fun morning tidygirlsuk My YS is very safety conscious and the amount of times he has locked me out in the garden and then gone and plugged his ipod in his ears Bless. I've only every forgotten to open the door up for the girls til about 8.30. Lately I've been leaving it open all the time but at the moment they are on the lawn so I'm locking it at night just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I locked mine up one night when we went out, then didn't come home till about 10.30 am. They weren't too impressed with me. I have also done as Gallina and locked them out of the eglu. It was when I had the eglu and run and ending up crawling in the pitch darkness up the run on my hands and knees to make them go to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
