4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Cyber Chook]

Hi everyone

 

Well, I have a problem, and it's getting to the point where I'm considering finding a new home for them

 

Every single chuffin' morning, usually around 6.30am - 8.00am, my chooks start up a very loud BOK BOK BOK-ing. I wake up, leap out of bed with my heart pounding, open the window and call to them, and they eventually settle down, but by then the adrenaline's coursing through my veins, and I'm worried about my poor neighbours' sleep being disturbed. I'm an owl not a lark, 6.30am is too early, and I'm exhausted

 

Almost every time, I've seen a cat in the garden. The chooks seem to have taken a dislike to a particular cat, a Bengal cat. I shoo it off and the chooks settle. I've ordered some citronella cat repellent pegs from Owen at the Green Pest Company (very nice, very helpful), but I rather doubt that it'll help for long.

 

So, what can I do ? I was thinking of putting up a border all around their walk-in run, so they can't see the cat, but there'll be gaps (eg near the door), and I think they'll hear or sense the cat anyway. Also, I won't be able to see my girls, and that kind of takes away from the fun of keeping them in the first place.

 

To add to the issue, when I let my cat out this morning the girls immediately started up their hollerin'. Tabitha shot back indoors, and they settled again. I'm beginning to think that the only thing I can do is start again with new, young chooks that will get used to seeing cats

 

Please, if anyone can advise I'd be so grateful. I love my girls, but I'm turning into a sunken-eyed sleep deprived wreck

 

Caroline

 

P.S. I've asked some of my neighbours, and they say they don't hear them. But I haven't asked the ones whose houses back on to my back garden, and the run is close to their bedroom windows. I don't know them, but one of them is grumpy and I don't want to ask them and give them something to be awkward about if it isn't actually a problem).

[Hen Watch]

Do you shut your cube door at night?

 

My girls are locked inside their eglu with the door firmly shut until I decide to get out of bed and open them up. I open them up 7.15-7.30am on school days and a fraction later at weekends.

 

I had to resort to this after 4am wake up calls in high summer when they would wander out of the eglu at first light and get spooked and alarm call. It was awful, but as soon as I started with the new routine it was fine and they got used to it.

 

It's not too much bother, today, I ran down the garden in my dressing gown at 7.30am, opened the eglu door, then went back to bed......

[chelsea]

I am the same as Katy above. We shut the cube and its covered with a dark cover (not covering ventilation holes) to keep it darker inside for longer. They get let out on weekdays at 7am and at weekends a bit later and have not had any problems with noise. They key is for you to take charge and show them who's boss , dont take any more nonsense and try and keep to a routine when letting them out/opening the cube.

 

good luck and I really hope you can keep them.

[..lay a little egg for me]

1) Keeping them in the dark until you get up seems like a good idea to me. They will sleep longer and won't be able to see the cat

 

2) Our girls completely ignore the cats so perhaps they will get used to Tabitha (great choice of name BTW) and the other cat.

 

3) If your neighbours have double glazing, I bet they don't hear the girls at all even though it sounds loud to you.

 

Hope it works out, it would be such a shame if the girls had to go...

[Patricia W]

I agree with all the above. Exclude as much light as possible and keep the cube/ house door shut so you control when they get out. I think from a complaint point of view, the magic hour is 7.30pm for Environmental Health to be involved- but someone may know in more detail than me. Best thing is to share eggs around with the neighbours you think may be grumpy.

 

They will eventually get used to the cat. Do they ever free range? Once mine were let out to free range they chased all the local cats - who now keep a very wide berth. They're bantams so a normal size chook will be even more scary to the cats!

 

Changing the chickens is not the answer as the next lot may be even worse.

 

Tricia

[Cyber Chook]

I didn't even think of covering the Cube and shutting them in

 

I leave the door open year-round, but I'll try the new routine as of this evening.

I was in a panic this morning when I wrote the post , but I have high hopes now. Thanks guys!! I feel a bit embarrassed at getting in a fluster, but I do get worried about the racket. We have double glazing, and we're much further away than our neighbours are to the run, but it still wakes me up.

 

I tried to help the chooks chill out by feeding them corn with Tabitha nearby today. They bok bokked a bit, but ate the corn as well, so it's looking hopeful

 

Tricia, yes, they free-range for an hour or two every day. I never see cats then, only in the early morning, which is when the hullabaloo starts.

 

What do you use as a cover?

 

 

Caroline

[Patricia W]

I have an eglu so use an thick old rug, and a blue tarpaulin over that and the run. And bags of compost at each side of the eglu and on top ( very elegant!!) Air holes are obviously kept free.

 

But I have a cockerel - so if you think you have noise.....

 

I know some people use the black backed picnic rugs on the cubes that you can get quite cheaply. That helps exclude the light and if you close the door that should keep them quiet a bit longer.

 

But a box of eggs to grumpy neighbours is often all you need.

 

An upgrade for Omlet would be the light excluding soundproofed cube/eglu - the keeping of cockerels would go through the roof ( as it were)

 

Tricia

[sandyhas3chucks]

the green Eglu is darker than the pink & red ones. It never occired to me to NOT shut the door as I have foxes.

Don't want to scare you but beware the Bengal Cat they are not far removed from WILD cats about 5 generations I think is all AND avid hunters, so treat it as you would a fox. I know lots of people don't let their Bengals out and have runs for them. They are very expensive and have steal value.

Enjoy your peaceful mornings

[chelsea]

 

What do you use as a cover?

 

 

Caroline

 

I use one of those black plastic backed picnic blankets over the cube with the black side faced down.

[Cyber Chook]

beware the Bengal Cat they are not far removed from WILD cats about 5 generations I think is all AND avid hunters, so treat it as you would a fox.

 

We have foxes too, but most of the time the girls are safe in their walk-in run, and so I've never worried about leaving the door open.

 

But about the Bengal, they're beautiful, I think, but I saw them so many times last year with baby sparrows, blue tits etc hanging out of their mouths, it was quite upsetting as I do love our wild birds and feed them mealworms etc.

 

But do you mean that they might actually attack a chicken ? Has anyone heard of this happening?

[Cyber Chook]

But a box of eggs to grumpy neighbours is often all you need.

 

No, there are too many households nearby, Tricia, as well as my near neighbours, we back on to a road of terraced maisonettes, so each house has two families. I'd never have enough eggs to go round, and then people would wonder why THEY haven't received their half dozen yet

[sandyhas3chucks]

it is my understanding that yes they might. They would all be individuals and they might have been scare mongering, I think one quote was that no wild life was safe if they were out! yes stunning to look at but can like most things be adorable or monsters fromn what I gather (wirh people that is too) have a friend that had one that went missing, somone returned/found it but the one she got back is pretty horrid & hers was sweet & cuddly.

Cat jumped om to my fence the other day took one look at 2 indignant chickens & beat a hasty retreat. got dogs scared of them too:)

I would watch it carefully, you would be able to see it's intension!

Perhaps it would see the fox off