Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[spencerwood]

Hello All,

 

I've posted a few things over the last few months regarding early morning chatter and day time 'sqworks' voiced my ladies and am very grateful for the responses I’ve had in return.

 

I have to say that I’ve had great success using a tarpaulin to slightly cover their run at night, which has helped them rise at a much more reasonable hour! I now let them out at about 7:30am, where as before, they were waking just after 5am. I also string up small bits of veg from time to time to help entertain them, along with a CD (Mariahs greatest hits!) and it certainly seems to keep them amused ...but I am beginning to wonder if they have enough space!?

 

We moved house almost 8 days ago and I think they’ve settled into the new neighbourhood pretty well considering the upheaval. From a neighbourly point of view, my husband and I are somewhat relived that the house we back on to also have hens which when laying, seem more vocal than ours - phew! However, although my girls announce their egg relatively quickly ,they do tend to sqwork intermittently (and rather loudly) throughout the day. Each outburst lasts 10 seconds or so but they almost sound like geese at times. What does this mean? Are they frustrated? Are they bored? Do they need more space? They are both Welsummer Bantams in a standard Eglu but is this enough for them? All being well with the neighbours, we’re planning on getting a WIR but do you think it’ll make a difference?

 

Thanks, Lizzy

[Chucky Mama]

I have all day free ranging chickens and they do a pretty impressive egg announcement but apart from that they are quite. The ony time that they make a din is if they feel threatened or cross with either a cat in the garden, or something like a pheasant on the wall. If they have only started squawking since the move maybe they will settle when they get used to the sights and sounds in their new garden.

[Alis girls]

Mine "honk" like geese when alarmed and did this last week when police helicopter was above our house. The noise was dreadful. A friend who has chucks said this is the "theres a fox announcement" - quite how they fathomed this out I wasnt sure unless they expected him to abseil down

[chickyhazel]

Our chickens are noisy sometimes when they are laying, if they think we have left them in the eglu or run for too long without letting them out, if they want food, if they have run out of pellets/drinking water, or if they are shocked or spot a predator.