Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Kathie on December 12, 2010, 18:29
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Hi all,
We have a stubborn Light Sussex, Snowy, who is always the last to go to bed. Over the last few weeks Mr Fox has been seen and we have been on constant fox watch. My question is, is it cruel to make her go in before she is ready? I am concerned that she may not have eaten or drank enough if I shoo her in, mainly her water intake as they are in the coop for so long now. It's been so cold standing around and waiting for her to go in of her own volition, I thought I'd check this out.
Thanks
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I had a problem with my chickens perching outside a few weeks ago. It was mostly the fault of one hen who encouraged the others to stay out with her. I removed the out side perches and then for a few days i would watch them untill they had all gone in even encouraing the last stragler to follow. Now they all go in at dusk. I wouldnt worry about puting your chicken in. If all the others have gone in then its not cruel to encourage the naughty one in aswell.
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No problem getting her to go to bed a little early. The amount of times I've stood in my field waiting for that last hen to finish scratching around either in the freezing cold of Winter or late on a Summers evening is countless. As long as it's somewhere near bed time that's OK.
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Marge is a naughty girl too, always the most reluctant to get into bed. Somebody told me (I think it might've been Hillfooter?) that the last hen to go to bed is often the best layer. I ALWAYS have to shoo her in, and it has never done her any harm. It hasn't taught her to go in earlier either though...she is like a naughty 10 year old..'just 5 more minutes mum!', Grrr :tongue2:
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Mine like playing hide and seek - they go in to the hen house - I go out to lock them in, and they come out again. I swear that they think it is funny. :) :)
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If all the others are in put her in she will be ok :happy:
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We shoo our hens in every night. The tedious bit is getting them from their secured run into their roost in the hen house. Two decided last night that they could cover themselves almost to their neck with litter and stay outside. That lasted until I went out to check on them. I scared one of them and then they both ran up the ramp into the house. Sorted!
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Mine like playing hide and seek - they go in to the hen house - I go out to lock them in, and they come out again. I swear that they think it is funny. smile smile
Ha mine do that also, no matter how quietly I creep up the garden.
Ours have a secure run. Once they in the run I can relax and go up to shut the pophole and collect their food and drink in my own time.
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Thanks everyone,
some of your answers made me laugh as it seems you're all having as much fun as me!! :D
Ours are completly free range over a third of an acre and they all come to the coop at the same time and all except Snowy go to bed. Thanks again, I won't feel so bad when I shoo her in tomorrow.
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Mine like playing hide and seek - they go in to the hen house - I go out to lock them in, and they come out again. I swear that they think it is funny. smile smile
Ha mine do that also, no matter how quietly I creep up the garden.
Ours have a secure run. Once they in the run I can relax and go up to shut the pophole and collect their food and drink in my own time.
Yep mine do that as well. It looks dark while I'm inside so I go out to shut them up and I can almost hear them saying "wey hey it's daddy come to give us treats" and they come running out of the coop and down the garden towards me.
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I have the solution!
Corruption and bribery:
A light dusting of mealworms in the coop and away they go.
Of course I cheat by having the coop in the hen-house-formerly-known-as-the-shed, but if its going to be really cold then I shunt them into the coop and close the door to keep the warmth in. Of course chasing my (so-called) ladies around a freezing shed with limited visibility is always going to be the highlight of my day. I think I'll take Hillfooter's advise and ask Santa for one of those lights you can trap onto your head.
Pertelotte
PS It's only fun if you've got feathers!
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We've got a young hen (cream legbar) that simply won't go to bed in the coop. Ever since she was about 9 weeks old she's roosted on the fence next to the greenhouse.
Every night we walk up the garden, retrieve her and post her into the coop - EVERY NIGHT!!! :mad:
Even in all the horrendeous snow and cold, cold weather she's gone to her usual roost. One more than one occasion now there's been a covering of snow on her back! And yes, she does have one wing clipped.
I'm just hoping when she starts to lay it might stop some of her waywardness!
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no even when they start to lay it doesn't cure them. One of mine - a silkie cross who is now 30 months old still roosts in the trees - she lays her eggs in the coops and goes broody in the coops but after they hatch and get to 8 weeks old she returns to the trees taking her young with her :mad:. I now have 14 living outdoors in the bad weather ::).
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I'm glad Delilah hasn't considered the trees in the garden. There is no way I could get her out of the pear tree!