2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[jnb]

OK I've had my hens for a couple of weeks now. They spent the first week in an ark (about 2 x 1.3m) last week I built them an extra run on the end so they had twice the space. So they should be thoroughly used to the idea of where home is. They're also used to the idea that I am a source of treats so they come to say hello when I go down the garden. Now I want to let them out across the rest of the garden when we're around so they have a reasonable space to roam. The question is how do I get them back when I need to, how do I stop them escaping into the neighbours gardens or even the field at the bottom of the garden.

 

There's a fence all around the garden which is about 3ft at it's lowest point and I could clip their wings, which I've never tried but it looks easy enough in principle but will they still be over that fence as soon as I'm not looking? Will they come back the the ark of their own accord? Are there tricks to persuading them to come home. Will I be finding eggs all ovetr the garden and none in the nest boxes?

[chickenanne]

Well, the biggie is the low fence. Mine would be able to clear 3ft with or without clipped wings. But I'm sure you will be able to rig somehting up to increase the height whilst they're out.

Getting them back.... mine happily toddle off to bed with no problem, but getting them back in at any other time can be trickier!I would suggest that the first few times you do it, make sure that if all else fails and you have to wait until chicken bed-time to get them in it won't be a problem. Treats and bribery is often the easiest way!

I've never found eggs in odd places, they seem very well-behaved re; using the nest box. Occasionally some chickens will be more awkward about this, but if that's how it turns out then you could always leave them in the run until after they've laid.

[Olly]

I agree about the fence, 3' would not prevent one of mine from going over, and her wings are already clipped. Bear in mind also the risk of predators getting in if you're not there to supervise.

 

Getting them back into the run is easy with mine because they associate me shouting 'chook, chook' with a handful of treats! They will gather round and rush up to the door of the run, and then all pile in when I fling whatever it is (usually a handful of mixed bird-seed, but anything edible really) inside. I'd advise starting this before you let them out, though - get them to associate a particular call, or even a brightly-coloured dish, with treats and then when you do let them out they should come back fairly easily. Otherwise, as said above, they usually put themselves to bed when it gets darker - I like to have mine well tucked away before then, as dusk is a prime time for foxes to be about.

 

I hardly ever let mine free-range before lunchtime, even if I'm at home all day - that way they fill up with pellets, which contain all the nutrition they need, and lay their eggs inside the nest-box. You might well find that they'll return to the nest-box to lay anyway, even if they're out and about.

[Lo]

We started letting ours out just before dusk the first few times so they were not tempted to stray too far. At what they perceived to be bedtime they took themselves back into the house and went to bed. Never been a problem there.

 

Sometimes if we are going out during the day and need to put the girls back in their run then we simply shake the corn pot and they come running.

 

I would imagine they will fly over the 3ft fence even with wings clipped as they can jump quite high. We have put netting up. We have a similar size fence but with the netting it is now about 8 ft. This is in between neighbour and ours garden so as it is netting we can still speak to the neighbours in the garden but does stop our hens doing to the neighbours lawn what they have done to ours and also keeps them safe in our garden.