All 3 chickens stopped laying today

[pips_pekins]

Hi. I had it all worked out in my head how to divide the run up but having spent hours trying I have had to give up. Can anyone help me? I have picked up my new chickens today but they are in the dog crate in the kitchen and I promised OH that I would not do this again . I need to get them outside but cannot afford another eglu and really need to sort this out as quickly as possible. Any ideas as to what I can do to safely introduce the new girls to the ones in the eglu? The run is 3m and I have spent a small fortune on wire, trellis and fixing things. If anyone has done this before, do you perhaps have a photo so I can see where I am going wrong?

 

And I know I should have done all of this before today but it was a dreadful work week and I only seemed to have the time to pick up the stuff I thought would need to sort it out today. It seemed easy in theory but I am now scratched to bits by the wire and feeling anxious about my new girls. They are so cute and they have been roaming around the garden together getting to know their new surroundings. I feel so mean putting them in the dog crate and really don't want to leave them there longer than I have to.

 

Many thanks.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Are you planning on splitting it in half (ish) or down the length?

 

If your old girls are in the eglu and can freerange, you could take the run apart at the 1m section and put wire/trellis in there then tie it together again with cable ties or similar. They could leave via the eggport. You could put the pet carrier in the 2m section for the newbies.

[chuckmum6]

How many hens do you have and what type? Chickens need 1 square metre each, if they are big girls, less if they are banties, so you do need to ensure they have the right amount of room or trouble will ensue. You could use a tarp or waterproof cover on the dog run for now to get it out of the kitchen, add a perch a garden cane? It might be worth getting some extensions for your Eglu or some netting to create a free ranging area?

[pips_pekins]

Hi. Thanks for suggestions. Think I will have another go tomorrow when not so tired. I was trying to split the run down the middle but may try doing what you suggest ANH. Chuckmum6 mine are bantams and they are all still young so I hope that 3m will be ok for now. My old girls are only 15 weeks and one is a serama and today I have collected an 8 week old pekin and wyandotte.

[Redwing]

Bamboo canes slotted through the bars make an effective separator and very cheap and easy

 

If you try ANH's suggestion the two newbies will be ok in one metre for a while as they are so small

[pips_pekins]

Hi Tasha. The canes would be a cheap option as I already have some but not sure how best to do this. The run is on the patio so nothing to spear them into if you mean to place them vertically. For now will try horizontally to separate one metre off. Otherwise I am going to take apart an old bookcase today and try to use that with the wire. Amazing what the mind thinks about in the middle of the night! The new girls are so sweet together even though the wyandotte is quite a bit bigger. Last night when I checked on them, the wyandotte had the pekin under her wing. How long do you think I might need to keep the two pairs separated? Thanks again.

[Egluntyne]

How about like this?

 

[pips_pekins]

Thank you so much for posting the photo Egluntyne. That looks easy enough and obviously works. Never thought of criss crossing them Honestly, I am not a total idiot as my posts seem to suggest but I do seem to go into chicken panic mode a lot at the moment. Thank goodness for this forum otherwise I would be a total wreck.

[Egluntyne]

Yer welcome.

[pips_pekins]

Have done it, it works Now just need to borrow a small child to change feeders

[Egluntyne]

Go to chimneysweepsareus.co.uk.

[chuckmum6]

It looks a little like a giant game of kerplunk! ingenious though!

[pips_pekins]

Go to chimneysweepsareus.co.uk.

 

 

It looks a little like a giant game of kerplunk! ingenious though!

 

It really does

 

Now that I have mastered introductions I am really of your different bantams chuckmum6. I have been looking for a bantam maran and araucana for the different coloured eggs for a while now. Once my WIR is built then I will need to start looking again.

[Plum]

You'll need longer canes

[pips_pekins]

You'll need longer canes

 

... and OH says "plus a good divorce lawyer"

[sadietoo]

You'll need longer canes

 

... and OH says "plus a good divorce lawyer"

 

 

Nah...surely not..."what these old chickens...I got them years ago!"...he'll never know!!

[pips_pekins]

Nah...surely not..."what these old chickens...I got them years ago!"...he'll never know!!

 

Might be worth a try when we have the WIR up - 'New ones dear? You are mistaken; it's the same chickens they are just moving very quickly!'

 

Well, I have used 32 long canes and several short(!) to divide the run up across the width . When I got home from work they were all in the same end with the new girls looking very pleased with themselves and my old girls sitting in the doorway of their eglu . I managed to separate them and adjusted the canes, added a couple of more and went in. Sure enough Bramble, the little pekin, was on the wrong side of the barrier. So, several more canes later and I think I may have is sussed

[Plum]

Sign of things to come They are really going to keep you entertained.