Solitary chicken - need advice

[Amzie]

Hi everyone, 

Since letting my pekin bantams hens out to have a wander in the garden for a little while in the afternoons, there is a magpie that continually comes and takes feed and has the water, and also goes right into the eglu go house and takes the straw from the next box!

I have taken the food away for the short while they are out in the garden to see if this would stop it happening but hasn't helped.

I cannot really shut them out of the run once I have let them into the garden as sometimes they lay later in the afternoon and need to go back into the run and eglu house and obviously need access to water.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can stop this happening, please?

Thank you very much.

Amy

[Bluehens12]

Hello,

I’ve had this problem recently, with magpies taking eggs from the nest box. I made a fly curtain for the front of the run.  I cut the sides of a large plastic carrier bag to make a rectangle then cut it into strips from one end only. I pegged the top of the bag ( the uncut end) above the run door on the outside. The hens can walk in and out, they just needed a bit of encouragement the first time. It seems to be working as we haven’t lost any eggs since.

Jo

[Amzie]

Hi Jo,

That's a great idea, thank you so much for sharing this - I will definitely give this a try!

Thank you for sharing! 

Amy x