Did you know chickens don't automatically troup in to their coop at dusk? Neither did i...HELP!

[largeginandtonic]

Please help me, we have just bought 6 lovely chickens who are currently hopping round the garden.

We bought them Sunday, let them out yestrday and went to put them in their coop last night about 4. It was HELL.

What do we do?

LG&T where are you have they escaped are they wandering around your kitchen demanding cake?

Cheered me up no end imagining you and the human brood running around catching chooks.

OH LG&T .

I have this image of you and the kids running around in the rain and mud chasing after chickens. You know diving after them and all that.

There was plenty of diving... BUT not last night We left them till 6 and went out to put them away only to find all but 1 was inside!!! Clearly i am chicken expert

Ingles and Mink we have had bunnies taken before by a fox in the garden. Our wall is 6ft high so we thing the fox jumped on to the rabbit hutch and escaped with them We have been on the look out and changed the hutch position.

We are most definately going to make a run for the shitting everywhere lovely birds. I love them really but my god do they poo!

We have a Rhode Island cross with a cream leghorn, 2 cuckoo Marans, 2 cream leghorns a bluebird. They are called Maggie, Henrietta and Gertrude, Penelope and Prudence and Betty is the bluebird. They are so friendly already and we got another 2 eggs yesterday, our blue egg laying leghorns are yet to produce though. They are the most flighty and inquisitive.

Thank you for your help yesterday I am sure i will need you again! Not so many thanks to my friends taking the michael Cake indeed...

Don't forget they will need some grit to eat to help them make their eggshells. I think (please correct me if wrong) you can use washed egg shells crushed up. They need to be washed so they don't get a taste for eating eggs and then eat their own.
HTH Ma Larkin

PS when are you getting the goat? Fresh milk every morning would be wonderful and they keep the grass down nicely. You could also get the kids to just pop out and squirt a teat of milk when they are thirsty.

And cockerels crow in the middle of the night. Ours was yelling his head off about an hour ago. Loon!

Who asked about grit? You'll need soluble (to provide calcium, most usual is crushed oyster shell which is available from pet shops, feed merchants etc) and insoluble, which is bits of flint for grinding food in the gizzard - if they have access to outdoors they'll just pick it up whilst scratching.

One of the chickens and a bunny got munched by a fox last night. Brazen as you like.

Am gutted, all the children saw it too

DH is going to build a run today, any tips???

I posted in chat last night about it, husband was away typically!

Thank you lovely ladies.

Norksbride thanks for last night

If tortoiseshell is about, her DH made a fantastic hen house & run. She might be helpful.

Otherwise I'd say make a normal sort of rabbit run with a wooden frame, chicken-wire sides and roof and then lay slabs or something around the sides to help prevent the fox from tunneling in - or put it on a terrace. I suppose you could put net across the floor too and use a large gauge wire - but not too big, we had a fox get through a tiny window, about 5" square and that was 5ft high from the ground. He was very determined last year.

Glad you're able to get it sorted today though. And the weather forecast is good!

Oh no LG&T thats awful. He didnt take Carrots did he?

I like Charleys idea of a goat......

Could you squeeze a piglet in?

awww, LG&T, just saw your other thread... what a horrible start to having chickens . It's the worse part of having them.

Nothing new to add to the great tips you've already had from Duchess.

Duchess - you are The Queen of Battling Foxes - respect to you for the fox tug of war. Wow!

I want a goat
I really want a goat

DH making a 6' by 6' enclosure as we speak, wire on the bottom too. Chickens have ben clucking all day but seem ok and even layed 3 eggs!

Carrots escaped April, fox could never have lifted him over the wall

DH waiting out with a pitch fork tonight

Well done LGTs DH. And happy hunting with his pitchfork!

No fox last night, dh devastated a bit upset

He did wee all over the garden though so that could be why.

Think i may put all the children in the enclosure

Be very aware LG&T, once a fox knows where there are chickens, he'll keep coming back until they've all gone!
If your dh has finished the run, I'd keep them in for a few days in the hope the fox gets bored or round them up early! I shut mine in at 4pm.

No fox last night, well not that i heard. They are staying in the run now, am going to let them out in a minute and take some pictures for you all to see

Thanks Ingles, i thought that. They will only be allowed in the run now, not brave enough to let them roam Little feckers lovely birds kept escaping anyhoo!

you really need somehwere for them to be out but not 'out' iyswim
When we had chickens we had a large pen that their coop was inside
very large (bigger than a double garage)

but we live out in the country by the sea and have alot of foxes

if you can't sort it for a while make sure they are in before dusk
use food to tempt them in
I had about 18 all in and they all but one (the only cockerel) loved tinned sweetcorn.

the cock loved cream crackers but he would just follow me to do the door and go in when I saud 'in'

glad to hear all is well

We have the same as trinityrhino had, a v large fenced area for them to be safe in when we go out or expect not to be home before dark.

Our dog shocked me last night by bringing a dead fox to the door!!! So um, I would also recommend a big dog to keep the foxes at bay . Or maybe not!

Morning!

Have posted some pictures on my profile

All week I have been reading this thread title as chickens do troop into their coop at night!

They do now Nab

Fab!

It is rather splendid, has made having chickens much easier. Of course if we could just stop Mr Fox eating them i'm sure we would be perfick

If you don't lock your chickens up BEFORE sunset it is likely that you will lose them to foxes before too long

Get the kids to help you round 'em up as a fun outdoor activity!

I now have a battery operated light-sensitive pop hole gadget that releases the door (slowly- it is not a guillotine) as it gets dark. The hens hear the buzzing noise and head in. Then I go out at my leisure with a torch to check on them later. When it is really cold I put hot water bottles in the hen house to keep the worst of the chill off .

Now that sounds cool Fleur! How sweet you give them a hot water bottle too I am already talking and cooing at them, they get a cheery "morning ladies" as i open the coop in the morning. Pretty sure cream crackers and hot water botles are not too far...