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

[hilda-and-evadne]

After I started keeping hens, last year, I would occasionally give my neighbours eggs. They loved the eggs and then they started talking about having hens of their own. Of course, I encouraged them. They know about Omlet from me (and may read this forum so I will be careful).

 

But they bought a hen house from Pets At Home. The catches on the doors are not fox-proof; there is nothing to stop the fox burrowing into the sort of holding area below the nesting box; and I reckon that the fox could push the thing over, if it stood on its hind legs with its forepaws on the hen house. It is not going to be large enough when the three hens are fully grown. And there is no run.

 

That's not all, though. They bought three hens - a Light Sussex, a Bluebelle and a Gingernut-type hen - from a breeder in Sussex (mentioned on the Omlet list) BEFORE THEY HAD BOUGHT ANY FOOD. After the hens were brought back here, and I discovered that there was no food for them, I gave my neighbours three days' worth of pellets, and two days later we went and bought a sack of pellets. Their little girl (aged about 7) named the hens.

 

The first three days the hens wandered round the garden. Sometimes the neighbours went out for hours, leaving the hens on the loose. On the fourth day, the hens were not let out of the hen house at all until the evening; it was a good thing the heat wave had not yet begun because they had little food or water. I pointed out that keeping them in the hen house would produce behavioural problems. So the next day, a stretch of one border along the fence between my garden and theirs was netted off, and the hen house and hens moved into it and that's where they have been for the last five days. Which is nice (and shady) for them but no protection at all from the fox; and now that they are more confident and grown a bit they are flying out of the netted off area into the rest of the garden.

 

I can hardly believe how careless my neighbours are being. Only a month ago I saw a fox in their garden in broad daylight. Since the arrival of their hens, I have been leaving my dog in the garden as much as possible, in the hope that the smell of the dog will deter the fox (although my dog can't get into the next door garden so could not chase off the fox if it did appear). Their little girl will be so upset if the hens are killed or hurt, and yet not even that seems to matter to my neighbours.

 

There appears to be a sort of battle of wills going on about what is to be done about a chicken run. The husband is clearly not going to do anything about a run, and it looks as if the wife cannot. But I don't understand how they ignore the fact that the little girl will be very unhappy if the hens are hurt. Last Saturday, when they returned home after being out for hours, I saw the little girl run straight to the garden to check on the hens and heard her shout, "Good news, Daddy, they are still here."

 

Meanwhile, the smell and swarms of flies from the other side of the fence are becoming really noticeable. I realised this afternoon that the smell was what my set-up would smell like, IF I didn't do so much - thanks to all the great information and advice on this forum - to keep the smell (and flies) down. I have given the wife a whole bag of bokhashi bran and a note on how to use it. I have also explained about Aubiose (but so far given them only enough to put in the nesting box).

 

Lastly: I had intended, in the autumn, to buy a spare eglu and run to hire out. But I brought forward this project, and the new eglu and run should arrive on 14 July. I have told my neighbour that she can hire them from me - or buy it outright. But Heaven only knows if the hens will be still alive by then.

 

Sorry to bend all your ears (or eyes) but it is really stressing me. On Monday (the day the neighbour's hens were left in the hen house all day), I felt like kidnapping them. They have just put themselves to bed so I can report that they have survived today. I know that some other Omleteers let their hens free range all day but around here you really cannot safely do so. The fox will come by, either in 10 minutes time or 10 days time or ... that the fox has not yet already appeared does not mean that it will not do so in the next few minutes. Early or late, it will discover next door's hens.

 

Illogically, it is the thought of the BlueBelle being killed that upsets me the most.

 

Is there anything else I can do?

[Patricia W]

Rachel

 

What a difficult problem you have! I do feel for you. But at the end of the day people have different ideas about looking after chickens. I let mine free range all day every day even when I'm not at home. I have decided that the freedom they have, and have had for a year, is worth the risk. I do as much as I can to lessen the risk so they are locked in their eglu each night. So far so good. But someone else may think I'm negligent.

 

You've done as much as you can, I think. You may find that all you can do is make yourself available to help if it's needed.

 

If they leave them without food or water then that's the time to intervene- and in that case, I'd contact the RSPCA.

 

Others will come along with more advice I'm sure.

 

Tricia

[chick wiggle]

Im so sorry Rachel, I dont have any advice for you Im afraid but I was just thinking how upset I would be if my neighbours behaved like that. Its a very difficult situation and you have my sympathy. Hopefully, especially for their daughter, i hope they soon get into the swing of things and start looking after them properly. *hugs*

[Chickvic]

I don't know what to say, you have pointed them in the right direction but ultimately it is their decision I hope they take more notice of what you are saying and do the right thing by their chickens.

[Guest]

next time you bump into them why don't you strike up a conversation about the lovely new girls and then just say something like "do you mind me giving you a bit of advice that I was given when I started out..." and then gently point out the things that need improving, interspersing it with nice comments. i think the technique is called a poo sandwich (to put it politely!). A nice bit, a not so nice bit, another nice bit etc etc.

[Egluntyne]

Worrying. I agree completely with Patricia W's post though.

 

They may have considered all the issues around the fox, but have decided that to give the hens freedom, it is a risk worth taking.

 

All you can do is give them advice, and report them if they are depriving the hens of food and water.

[Olly]

That's awful - although I wouldn't risk it for a moment, I agree with what Patricia W says regarding free-ranging, people have to make their own decision and unfortunately they may just have underestimated the risk despite your advice.

 

I went to visit a friend last year, who'd bought an Eglu, and built a chicken-run in a corner of the garden. It had no roof, and I said as pointedly as I could 'aren't you worried a fox could get in' but naturally she replied that she'd never seen one, didn't think there was one round there, her dog would hear it etc ... I didn't feel in a position to be more pushy.

She lost all three hens on New Year's Day.

 

However leaving them without food and water is unacceptable. I don't know what you can do - it's not as if they don't have you there for advice, after all! The best you can do is repeat the warnings.

 

Sometimes all you can do is give advice, and people can choose whether to take it or not. Horrible for you to sit back and watch, though. Do you think that actually they're regretting the decision to get hens? Might they be amenable to an adoption (and their little girl could still see them)?

[hilda-and-evadne]

I didn't feel in a position to be more pushy.

She lost all three hens on New Year's Day.

 

I can imagine, now, how you felt then.

 

Do you think that actually they're regretting the decision to get hens? Might they be amenable to an adoption (and their little girl could still see them)?

 

Yes, it has occurred to me that they might be regretting the decision to get hens. It might become clearer over the next few days, whether or not they might be amenable to letting their hens be adopted. I would take them - I have space for them and would be able to keep them separate from mine during "introductions". They and my hens already eyeball each other through the fence, and each flock is very interested in what the other is doing!

 

But I would really rather that my neighbours got to grips with everything that goes with keeping poultry.

[hilda-and-evadne]

Thank you, peeps. Must try not to get emotionally involved while at the same time keeping the focus on animal welfare obligations. Fingers crossed.

[hilda-and-evadne]

i think the technique is called a poo sandwich (to put it politely!). A nice bit, a not so nice bit, another nice bit etc etc.

 

LOL. How apposite, too!

[Chucky Mama]

I tend to agree with Olly and think that your neighbour has bought her chickens in haste and is not up to looking after them. Maybe you could strike up a conversation along the lines of 'My chickens are hard work at the moment ( a lie I know) - how are you coping with yours?' She may confess to having made a mistake getting them, then you may be able to offer a solution.

[hilda-and-evadne]

I tend to agree with Olly and think that your neighbour has bought her chickens in haste and is not up to looking after them. Maybe you could strike up a conversation along the lines of 'My chickens are hard work at the moment ( a lie I know) - how are you coping with yours?' She may confess to having made a mistake getting them, then you may be able to offer a solution.

 

Thank you - good idea. Next door's hens are out unsupervised again today. All the family have gone out. I feel like pointing out that dead hens don't lay eggs and that - however "natural" it is - to die in a fox attack is very unpleasant for the hen and very traumatic for any that witness or survive a fox attack - but I guess that I'll have to bite my tongue.