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Yorkshire Coop said:

Is it windy & cold today at yours today @Chickencountryuk? It is here!



Mine are hold up today in their coops. Only ones out are Dolly, Jean & Twinkle the £1 specials. As soon as I finished coops, water & feed all the polish headed back in.
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Some of the polish didn’t even come out when I was trying to clear the thick bed of feathers out! They hung around getting in the way! As I took perches out they just stayed on them!
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Chickencountryuk said:

Something strange is going on with my hens. I have two coops and runs connected by a open run surrounded by my neighbours fences. For the past couple of days my hens won't come out. The weather has changed and its a bit colder but they all stay in one run. They won't go near one of my neighbours fences and run to get from one run to the other. When I went in this morning none of them would come near me. Snowy, who always comes for a cuddle made a concerted effort to avoid me. I'm not sure what's going on. I have ordered a trail cam from amazon that should be here tomorrow. I'm hoping that nothing is going on regarding my neighbours but I have had stones thrown over before.

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Chickencountryuk said:

It's not so windy but is cold! I just cleaned mine out and there wasn't the usual hubbub of chicken activity around my feet. I put a pile of straw in the main run and they had a quick scratch around and went back into the small one. I don't like it when they start acting odd. When it's been cold a wet and windy they still normally come and greet me. Another couple of hens have started molting as well. My Brahma has no tail!

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Anna Ranieri said:

Its cold and we have a bitter cold wind here but all mine have come out - even my youngest, so I highly doubt its the weather - sounds like the neighbours, something or someone has scared them so much they are afraid to come out, will be interesting to see the outcome of the trail cam footage when you get it.
Lovely set up you have there btw, love your coops and runs.

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Chickencountryuk said:

Check this out. I have no idea why this is. They will come out if I'm there but go back in if I leave. I haven't noticed any predators. Its pretty secure in there.

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Chickencountryuk said:

Thanks! I'm hoping to see nothing! I'm hoping that it is just a bit of phase but I've never had them like this. Especially snowy not wanting cuddles! She's my little Teddy hen and will quite happily sit on my knee all afternoon and snooze! I don't trust one of my neighbours though, some cats got poisoned with antifreeze and fingers were pointed. He was also the one that kicked my pigeon that landed in his drive. Am I just paranoid?

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Anna Ranieri said:

For your sake and for your chickens sake I hope its nothing but I don't believe you are being paranoid, you are taking great care of your beauties and are understandably concerned for them, you know your chickens better than anyone and the change you've noticed in them is quite a big one. If anything sinister is going on, hopefully you will catch it on the trail cam what ever it is, and if the nieghbours are doing something then you'll have evidence to be able to report them to the RSPCA or take them to court if needs be. I hare neighbours like these, if they don't like peoples pets then they should move somewhere where there isn't any. People like that make my blood boil, I'm not a cat lover and I don't like dogs but like most of us I'd never harm any nor would I wish harm to them. Who in their right mind poisons cats or any animals for that matter!

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Chickencountryuk said:

It's not so windy but is cold! I just cleaned mine out and there wasn't the usual hubbub of chicken activity around my feet. I put a pile of straw in the main run and they had a quick scratch around and went back into the small one. I don't like it when they start acting odd. When it's been cold a wet and windy they still normally come and greet me. Another couple of hens have started molting as well. My Brahma has no tail!

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