Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[kjovestani]

Hi Guys, I'm only a week into all this and initially was loving it but now I'm becoming quite stressed! 2 questions I need help with!

1. I started letting my chickens out of their run yesterday which coincided with me moving them to a wood chip area off bark! The noise this morning literally rocked the house until I let them out to free range again. Is it the fact they dont like the wood chip that has upset them or the fact they have had their first taste of free ranging and love it. I put them back in after an hour and the racket started again and the dominant chicken started pacing up and down and I felt very cruel! If this is the case, do I never let them free range so that I never upset them!?

 

2. I know the way to entertain them on wood chip is to give them greens and hang balls with greens up etc but I can't find a green that the chickens actually like!? And I cant figure if they prefer greens cut up small or left for them to sort!

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Patricia W]

Ignore them. They'll soon get used to a routine. How about throwing some mealworms and some corn into the wood chip so they rootle around to find them. They'll then get the idea that they may find tasty bugs etc in the woodchip.

 

As for greens, mine love dandelions, chickweed, etc. They didn't eat cabbage last year, but have this year when I just throw leaves in for them rather then a whole cabbage.

 

Just experiment.

 

Tricia

[johnandkymberley]

Hi, answer to number one is yes they love to freerange, it might be an idea to give them a time limit that suits your routine, then you might be able to let them out more often when they become better behaved. Mine are usually out between 2-6pm every day and when its 2pm they are trying to grate themselves through the run!!!

 

2nd question, have you got corn or mealworms? they are better as they can sink into the bark etc and its cheaper!!

hope this helps xx