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

[Ms Marple]

Does anyone have experience of Crested Polands? I have recently rehomed one of these from Jules and she seems to have learnt how to escape. All my girls free-range, however, this chicken feels that the whole of my garden is just not enough for her. Two days running we have found her

a) at the front

b)way down the street (we are number 18 and she has gone as far as number 30 and we are not a street of terraced houses

c) not just at the front but in the middle of a mini-roundabout

 

As a result she has spent the rest of today (with her best friend) in the eglu run!

 

I suppose I need to try to clip her wings- I am just a bit nervous as she is so small and dainty.

Any thoughts or suggestions out there by any chance.

[Snowy]

You probably do need to clip her wings Just do one side but if she still insists on playing Houdini you may need to do both. They will grow back when she moults and hopefully she will have forgotten her escapades by then I take it she is flying out, not wriggling through a gap in the fence?

[Daphne]

Yes - polands can and do fly! One of my old girls was a known escape artist before I had her, roosting in a big old oak tree away from her pen, but when she moved to ours she stopped doing it. We've just got 2 newbies and they both escape the pen - a mixture of flying and getting under the netting - but they don't go far, its mostly in search of greener grass! I hoping they settle down too and feel pretty confident they will. Your girl sounds a lot more determined tho, and if I were you I would clip her wing because they are vulnerable to ground predators (and traffic by the sound of it) - unless you've already clipped her wig so she can see better.

[Jules.]

 

Naughty chicken

 

She does have her left wing clipped, might need doing a bit more

 

Is she using something a launch pad? She never did escape form our garden, or even try to fly up to the fence.

 

Also, she's not small & dainty- shes as tough as old boots Tell her who's boss

[Daphne]

perhaps she's missing you there's a bit of link here about moving home isn't there, perhaps the change of scenary/hew companions disorientates them or something?

[Jules.]

how's she doing?

[Ms Marple]

Hi Julia,

Did have a good holiday? She is doing fine- NOW that we have clipped her wing further!! She still gets picked on by the others especially Pecky (who was bottom of the pecking order), however she is so quick it doesn't get very far. I am trying to let them all mingle now and in fact I have a mixed group all now laying their eggs back in the Eglu with her. She rarely goes to bed in it though until I put her in - preferring to roost on the top! What I am currently doing is putting her and Snowball into the Eglu run around 7.30ish and shutting it until they go to bed! Once or twice she has slept in their with Snowball and a couple of the others so I think all is finally well. Talk about a 'flighty' madam

[Jules.]

Our holiday was lovely, thanks.

 

She'll soon fit right in .