danb_1985 Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Had my 3 hens for a month now n loving having them in the garden. Would massively encourage anyone to get them as pets!!! Getting 12-15 eggs a week now that all are laying so the family are happy! My questions. My chickens are in a 4x1m run at the minute and I always intended to let them roam my small garden while I was in it. However I'm worried they'll escape as the fences are only around 5ft high maybe a bit bigger. When I was on holiday my neighbour told me he had to catch them and put them back as they'd escaped?! (Cage situation now resolved and thankfully nothing bad come of their Houdini act. How high can these things jump and are they likely to want to hop the fence again now they've smelled freedom? Also, what does everyone use under where they roost as a bottom? Currently using the wood shaving/sawdust stuff( can't remember which). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Good to hear your girls have settled and giving you lots of eggs! Did you clip their wings? Might help preventing them to escape. I had wood shavings in the poop draw, but had problems with mold. I'm now trying newspaper, which so far works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Yeah I was wondering if newspaper would be ok for this? Their wings were clipped when I bought them. I think they must've hipped on their coop an escaped over the top that way? I want them to enjoy my garden but don't want them escaping it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 I'm also having a mess problem in my nest box as 2 of the chickens are still roosting in there? Will they eventually stop that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 They can't usually fly/hop as high as 5' although individual chickens are an exception to this, however they'll make use of a garden chair/compost bin/eglu roof to get up there if they can. I'd make sure they can't reach anything like that to aid them, or they're likely to do it again. I'm afraid once they have started sleeping in the nest box, it's a hard habit to break. You could try removing them from it after dark and putting them on the roosting bars, or blocking it off with a flowerpot or a football but then you have to be up early enough to remove it so they can get in there to lay. I gave up some years ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Maybe put something on the coop to prevent them using that as a step up? I only have bantams and they wouldn't be able to make it over a 5ft fence by jumping only. Maybe check if their feathers haven't come back? For roosting in the nestbox most suggest putting a upturned pot or a large ball in the dip at night. When you are letting them out, you can remove if again. For newspaper, I use three sheets of tabloid sized paper. I found that fits quite good in the poop drawer of my Go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 Thanks for the replies. I think I may be fighting a losing battle with the best box by the sounds of it then as I'm not in every morning to remove whatever I'd put in it to discourage them. Might try moving them on a night tho see if they get the hint. Might give newspaper a go to save on sawdust. I don't know what to do about stopping them escape. I'll check their wings but I think it's more them getting in coop and over. How high could a chicken realistically jump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 We've switched to newspaper. Just roll it up every morning and onto the compost heap. Keeps the flies out of the coops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 I actually checked with my garbage company and I'm apparently not allowed to put the chicken poop the green bin... So in the grey bin it goes now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 It varies between Councils in England Cat Tails. We are allowed to put it in the compost bin because I have checked. Not all Councils will accept it though. But it is too valuable to waste. We compost it for two years and then feed our veggie plot. In olden days the successful sale of chicken manure would be the difference between profit and loss for an egg producer. It was a valuable commodity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 What sort of coop do you have, danb_1985? I don't use anything under the bars in my eglu's. I simply s"Ooops, word censored!"e out the droppings with a wallpaper s"Ooops, word censored!"er. They go straight into my compost bin. I did have a wooden coop with simple bars. I used cat litter, it was so easy to take the poop out every day, with the added bonus that it didn't smell. Some of mine sleep in the nest boxes. I just poo pick them every day. Regarding jumping over the fence, they must be jumping off of something else to get out of the garden. Let them free range and spy on them, see if you can see what they're doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danb_1985 Posted September 21, 2014 Author Share Posted September 21, 2014 What sort of coop do you have, danb_1985? I don't use anything under the bars in my eglu's. I simply s"Ooops, word censored!"e out the droppings with a wallpaper s"Ooops, word censored!"er. They go straight into my compost bin. I did have a wooden coop with simple bars. I used cat litter, it was so easy to take the poop out every day, with the added bonus that it didn't smell. Some of mine sleep in the nest boxes. I just poo pick them every day. Regarding jumping over the fence, they must be jumping off of something else to get out of the garden. Let them free range and spy on them, see if you can see what they're doing I would but don't want to bother the neighbours if they venture in next door that's all. I'm sure they got on top of the coop and over so may have to give them half an hour with me in the garden patrolling and then build them up ha I don't have an eglu I have a wooden one but it has a slide out bottom that has a plastic base so maybe able to copy your method? Need to buy a composter I reckon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Depends where you live, but some local councils sell the compost bins at a discount price. Mine did so that's where I got mine. I didn't get a huge one, so it is just shoved in a corner of the garden out of the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
