Chicken bald back

[Gelbel]

My three lovely girls have their secure run (not an Eglu run but it is the same size but taller with some perches) but during the day they are also allowed into their makeshift secure WIR which is about 10' x 8'.

 

Why do they spend half the day pacing up and down at the end of it bashing into the wire to try to get into the garden? They make me feel awful.

 

Is it that they seen the "grass is greener" as it were or are they unhappy? Just for the record nothing whatsoever is wrong with them and the 2 they are laying are producing lovely eggs and they can have a lovely scratch about.

 

I cannot FR them on week days at the moment as work is so busy I cannot commit to watching over them FRing.

 

Do you reckon if I stopped them seeing the rest of the garden (ie used something to cover the wire) they would stop prowling up and down head butting the wire?

 

They have perches and runs that they love playing on and I told you about the 'bidet sessions' earlier in the week. They have the occasional treat too. CDs etc are ignored (well pooped on )

 

Please tell me they are being little madams and playing on my heart strings.

[Lavenders_Blue]

If your girls are anything like mine they only pace the wire when they know I am watching - it's definite guilt-tripping.

 

If I peek at them when they can't see me then everything is (usually!) completely harmonious with no pacing or wire-head-butting.

 

They have us under their thumbs!!

[Gelbel]

Actually when I am in the office and I peer out they don't but if I go the kitchen (below the office) they start up - even with me making no noise and they can't see me.

 

They must be telepathic.

[coco]

Mine only do the desperate to get out of the run thing when they can see me. I can watch them from the house and they are all perfectly happy in the run. Very manipulative are chickens.

[docsquid]

Yep, same here. If they see me or DH in the kitchen they start pressing up against the run door and making shrill Bwaaaark! noises. If I look out from upstairs where they can't see me, they are pottering about having a dig, dustbath, feed, preen, sunbathe or whatever in perfect harmony. They complain loudly if we have to go out so they have to stay in the run.

 

Don't feel bad at all - they won't come to any harm being kept in. I don't feel bad if mine have the odd day cooped up, as they also have days like today, when they are out from 9.30 to 4.00pm and have huge fun trashing the garden and sunbathing in the shed door!

[jkl]

Hi,

 

mine are eggsactly the same. They have a secure WIR with 2 square metres each, perches, a chair, lots of fresh food and water, dust bathing areas - in short they're well sorted but if they see/hear me, they do the fence march looking proper pathetic and put down on.

 

I'm actually working on a way to mimic the technique to get mrs jkl to let me out to the pub. If I'm successful, I'll try it at work too!

 

cheers

[sjp]

mine are the same if they know I'm in then they put the quilt trip on

[Space Chick]

 

I'm actually working on a way to mimic the technique to get mrs jkl to let me out to the pub. If I'm successful, I'll try it at work too!

 

cheers

 

I like the way you think

 

My lot do it too, however since having the webcam, I know its only when they can see us, I watch the webcam away from their view and they are all merrily going about their business

[CluckyBucks]

I agree wtih some of the previous posts, my girls ONLY pace when i am in their view.They are very clever and know how to make you feel guilty

 

xx xx

[Valkyrie]

We fenced ours off at the bottom of the garden - they used to stand and whinge until they were let out so they could hide under their favourite tree, which they were allowed to in the afternoons. Of course I was completely suckered in and now they have free reign almost everywhere - except for the veggie patch after they successfully devoured the leeks last year (now that's fenced in). Although they are being allowed to meander in the empty beds.

[Chucky1]

Yes ours too. Sometimes I think they do like human company. As if I work in the barns they will all come round and join me even though its a concrete floor and nothing to scratch. Then again sometimes I think its a bit of "cupboard love". They want treats followed by more treats followed by .... or they want to be in the one area I don't want them to be.

 

We both love them to bits but we have sussed their litttle games and don't do guilt trips.

 

I'm intrigued by the CDs though. Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, Handel. Do tell.

 

 

Paul

[chelsea]

Mine are the same - quiet as mice when no one is around but bok bok bokkking when the back door is open!

 

Mine even bully me into giving them their tea in the afternoons.

[Chicken Shirl]

One of mine is broody at the moment, and I have had her in a cage for a few days. I felt sorry for her today so I put her in a large run we have in the garden for sick hens, chicks etc: and every time she saw me she paced the wire. When I observed her from a distance she was happily scratching around, eating , flying onto the perches etc: Crafty little girls they are......... I wanted her to go and roost with her friends tonight and get rid of her broodiness, I let her out of the run for the last feed, and I didn't go out in the garden again until they had gone to roost, to take their food in, it was almost dark. She heard me and flew out of the tree and into my arms. Little monkey wanted me to put her in a box in the nice warm utility room .... She is back in the trees with her friends..................... Take no notice of them pacing and head butting the wire, it's all for effect.

[Gelbel]

Thanks for all the replies folks - it's really lifted me. And I need it..............................

 

I went to lock them in about 4pm and saw that Grace had started pecking Joy again in a big way. I sprayed poor old Joy with anti-pek spray and as I caught her in the act, as she was stupid and did it in front of me, Grace had 3" water out of a pot thrown at her as I did not have the spray at hand.

 

Took me 20 mins then to get her in as she would not go pass me to get in the secure run and coop. Interestingly Joy went in no problems - she can hang back as she is at the bottom of the pecking order.

 

Joy actually lowered her tail to be sprayed.

 

They'll get a good FR this weekend - hope that sorts Grace's moods out - sorry girls but I have to work to get money to keep you in the manner to which you hve become accustomed.

 

Please can I win the lottery so I can chook watch all day.

[Chucky1]

Hi Gelbel

 

When we noticed that one of ours was being bullied quite badly.

 

Her comb was the smallest of the bunch, not as bright red as all the others and what looked like feathers pecked from her head. She was also the most timid and difficult to get hold of.

 

For about a week, once a day we would grab her, and take her up the field for a feast of tuna.

 

Seemed to do the trick. Now she looks great and seems to hold her own more with the others.

 

Good luck

 

Paul

[Hen Watch]

My lot pace up and down the run when they hear my car pull up on the drive or if they see me at the window, but unfortunately with all this rain they will rip my water logged grass to shreds so they have to stay in their run.

 

Mind you, if they are free ranging in their 10 x 20 metre bit of garden and they see me, they STILL pace up and down the fence like captives wanting to be let into the other side of the garden. So I think whatever space they have they will always want what they can't have.

 

Don't let them blackmail you......

[beverley]

i have had to oil my back door key so they can't hear me open the door otherwise they

are like kamikaze chickens throwing themselves at the wire. poor trapped creatures that they are...

[Valkyrie]

Non stop whingeing at the back door today! I've told them no more treats.

[Chicken Shirl]

Non stop whingeing at the back door today! I've told them no more treats.

 

 

 

I don't believe you Koojie.

[Valkyrie]

I put them to bed with their tea early instead. I'm so mean. But it was very wet and quite dark. Darker still now and I can see they haven't gone to bed yet - the minxes. I reckon they are waiting for a heavy downpour so I get wet. I can almost hear the na na ne nana!