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Chicken keepers

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Original poster

Escaped chickens - help!

11 replies

unavailable · 28/05/2011 17:07

My 3 bantams have somehow found their way into next doors garden. They are quite happily scratching around, enjoying new surroundings.

I am on my own, and neighbours are away, so its impossible that I can catch them and laying a trail of bread back into our garden isnt working.

They usually go back into the coop at dusk of their own accord. Is it likely they will make their own way home, or do I need to round up a posse to herd them in?

Any advice much appreciated...

OP posts:

nickelbabe · 28/05/2011 17:12

they should go back of their own accord - they know where they sleep.

why can't yo ugo round? is there a locked gate?

I would try to get round if you can, because if you can't keep an eye on them properly, Mr Fox could get them...

Original poster

unavailable · 28/05/2011 17:32

I can get into next doors garden, but the chucks seem intent on staying put, and I cant herd them in the right direction as its only me.

I dont even know how they got in - there must be a hole in the fence that I cant see. I dont know if they will remember how to get back even if they want to.

OP posts:

1973magpie · 28/05/2011 22:08

Did they make it home? I hope you aren't still trying to herd them back...

Original poster

unavailable · 29/05/2011 14:03

I did try, but no luck and I gave up.

As it was getting dark they came back on their own, so all is fine.

OP posts:

mummymeister · 29/05/2011 19:40

Ours wander quite a bit but always come back - unless foxed during the day of course which there is nothing you can do about unless you keep them locked in and we like ours to be outside and roaming free.

nowwearefour · 29/05/2011 19:55

Our neighbours' chickens basically spend all day every day in our garden. It is SO annoying! They offered to put chicken wire up (which they already have) but so far, nothing. I do not like them constantly coming into my garden, although I cant quite put my finger on why. I am prob being unreasonable but maybe it was because their children kept coming in uninvited that it somehow feels like a continued intrusion! there are loads of foxes and i dont want to find (or my dd's to find) a dead one on the lawn.....they were dragging round a dead chick the other day right by my front door which i also didnt appreciate!

mummymeister · 29/05/2011 23:42

Your neighbours are being really inconsiderate nw4. i really don't like dogs and would be hacked off if my neighbours dog came round our house and garden when it wanted. Finding a dead chick is horrible no matter who you are or whether they are yours or not. i think you need to get back around next door and ask them what they are definately going to do to keep their chickens in. some people are very thoughtless and don't realise one mans meat is anothers poison. We are lucky we live out in the country - are you in a village/town? Personally, i would be mortified if I was causing this much worry to my neighbours.

nowwearefour · 01/06/2011 12:48

I think the prob is that I do live in the country and so nearly everyone has them and they all think it is fine. I wouldnt mind if they were in our garden occasionally rather than ALL THE TIME !

waitingtobeamummy · 01/06/2011 21:43

Our's once escaped without me knowing and were half way up the road before I realised. I had one under each arm and the othe held to my chest...I must have looked completlymad!

nickelbabe · 02/06/2011 11:18

when I lived on a farm, our constantly ran off to the grain silos - imagine lots and lots of lovely (outside, so going mouldy from the rain!) grain to eat!
we ended up having to wrap chicken wire around the whole of the garden (it was never cordoned off before as it was open onto the farm) because of the number of times we'd have to chase them around the pipes etc to get them back!

londonmom · 14/06/2011 16:11

Our chickens escape with amazing frequency, managing to fly up over a 5ft. gate. It's been quite amusing to answer the front door to a stranger asking if that's your chicken walking along the pavement. Makes me smile every time. One evening, we were watching the chickens heading back to the hen house and noticed that one was missing. We went round to the front of the house were it was waiting on the front step. Seems it couldn't fly back over the gate from that side. Surprised it didn't just knock to make itself known.

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