Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[Foot-tapper506]

I returned home last night at 9pm and shut the pop hole and coop door and then the gate to the run, believing my 4 hens had put themselves to bed, which they always do. However, at 6am this morning I heard them shouting, and when I went to investigate they were all out in the run!! I had obviously locked them out of the coop(instead of in) in the darkness. They must have been roosting somewhere and I did not notice They seemed none the worse for their experience, except that one of the hens is now bullying the youngest and was quite viscious pecking at her neck two or three times I have not noticed any bullying before, so is this because they had been locked out? Has it upset their routine to make them do this? Any ideas?

Thanks

[chicken bark]

As a new chicken keeper I've not experienced any bullying yet. But I would suggest (for what it is worth) that you wait and see what happens tonight. Maybe they didn't get such a good night's sleep being outside and are a little tetchy this morning? I know I would be if I was a dirty stop out!

[oneyolktoanother]

i would keep an eye on them, have you got any anti pecking spray this is great, and the purple spray, if they have made the chicken bleed i would seperate her, we had this probelm and have seperated her while her feathers grow back, they can still see each other

[esta]

I have had chooks that have escaped and stayed out and they have been fine

I think they are finding their pecking order as someone needs to take over.

This is completely natural but just keep an eye, they should settle down, if not get some of the spray

 

Esta x

[chickencam]

They won't have come to any harm for a night out, but it might be worth checking why they hadn't taken themselves to bed.

 

You don't say how long you have had them or what type of coop you have. It can be that they choose not to go into their coop at night if there is some red mite in there because they are only active at night and can make for an uncomfortable night, so the girls will choose to roost outside instead. If it was fully dark when you closed the door i would be inclined to treat the house with some red mite powder.

[Foot-tapper506]

Thanks for your replies, I will just have to wait and see if the bullying continues I suppose. Unfortunately I am out at work all day so will not be able to keep such a close eye on them until the weekend.

I have a wooden chicken coop with sliding pop hole door and have had no problems so far. I have had chooks since last October. I think what had happened is that the black cover I keep on top of the coop to cover them over with to darken it (in an attempt to keep them quieter in the early mornings) had slipped down and was mostly covering the entrance so they were not able to walk in as usual. I will be more careful in future and make sure they are all present and correct before closing up for the night!

 

[TAJ]

OH thinks I am mad but everytime I close the run/check they are in bed I do a head count to reassure myself they are all accounted for - he is quite happy to lock them up and assume they are all in!

 

Tracy

[Lavenders_Blue]

OH thinks I am mad but everytime I close the run/check they are in bed I do a head count to reassure myself they are all accounted for - he is quite happy to lock them up and assume they are all in!

 

Tracy

 

Ditto!

[Plum]

Are you forgiven yet.

 

I locked mine out in the day once. I took them out of the back of the cube to check them and shooed them back in the run door and forgot to open the cube door. Came home to eggs in the dustbath and a good telling off.

[Foot-tapper506]

I usually have a quick look to make sure they are all present and correct (and to say nite nite)but didn't on that occasion. I am not sure I have been forgiven yet as they were shouting loudly this morning at 5.50am and as I have just moved house I was worried they would wake the neighbours so I ran out in my dressing gown with a bowl of cooked peelings - I must have looked like a mad woman! They were not content to stay in the inner run either, kept on vocalising and lined up along the fence looking forlorn until I opened the second small run. I am now worrying myself that they will be OK all day as 2nd run is not covered.... They have got me just where they want me!!

[chickyhazel]

We have never locked our chickens out, but I would imagine it could cause stress which could lead to bullying. Other signs of stress include strangely shaped eggs, or no eggs. Ours peck Cracker, who is bottom of the pecking order, all the time, in fact Cracker likes wandering around with us better than being with the other chickens!