Things You Wish You Would Have Known?

[Coop de Grass]

I was going to ask this question too. I have 2 eight week old pullets. During the day I have been putting them in a 36" high dog exercise pen, inside our chicken run. Today I was alerted by a ruckus and ran over. One of the little girls had got out and the hens were pecking her. My roo was in a panic. I'm not sure if he was protecting his hens or the little one.

Mine clearly aren't ready, what is a good age to be able to stand up for themselves and not be henpecked?

PS, I gave my little one a good going over, she is well

So glad that your little one is alright. What kind of chickens do you have? How long have they been out there during the day?

It sounds like she jumped to the top of the pen, or is that closed? I found out that our 4 week old chicks can get through that 2x4 opening so I added chicken wire to the bottom of the fence, they can't jump 5' and that is the top of the wire fencing in the outer run,

 

[Coop de Grass]

I'm quite sure they wake up at sunrise, around 6:15 am or so.

lol! I have a camera inside the coop. It was one of the first things I did, so I could check on them, especially once they started laying.

My hens start moving around at 5... I have an automatic door that used to open at 6:30. Once my roo started crowing I changed the opening time to 7:30. The moment there is a change in the time the girls are usually down at the door staring at it quizically as if to say "I know it's time to go out! What is going on???"

BTW, thanks to the camera, I know that the roo crows well before sunrise. 4:05 am...

 

[shelbyhopkins92]

Me too. We are still working on this, it will be a permanent concern for me.

I'm constantly looking for ways to improve the coop just because that fear really doesn't ever go away. We are all in this together!

 

[ldawntaylor]

lol! I have a camera inside the coop. It was one of the first things I did, so I could check on them, especially once they started laying.

That up at sunrise bit was just a guess. I have no way to know for sure.... Even if I got up early to check my dogs would start barking as soon as I was outside and the birds would be awake then for sure.

I've thought about getting a game camera or something of that sort. But, I am more interested in knowing what comes poking around the coop when I'm not there so that I know what predators to try and protect against.

Now, if I can just get Rusty to be as protective of the birds up close as he is from a distance I could let him be on patrol at night. At present he has a line of sight to one side of the coop. Lady - fenced yard by the house - has a line of sight to the other side of the coop. If one dog starts barking the other responds too. And Lady is rather blood thirsty when it comes to 'coons. So, I think I any prowling around would be announced.

 

[jennyf]

My lazy chickens are definitely not up at dawn. Husband used to open the door at 5 and they weren't up. Now we have an automatic door that opens at 6:15 or so and they still don't necessarily barge out the door. So don't feel too bad if you aren't always up at the crack of dawn!

 

[cream puff]

My lazy chickens are definitely not up at dawn. Husband used to open the door at 5 and they weren't up. Now we have an automatic door that opens at 6:15 or so and they still don't necessarily barge out the door. So don't feel too bad if you aren't always up at the crack of dawn!

I had to bring a chick in last night and she wasn't awake until 8a.m. I thought she was dead! I think as long as it's dark they stay asleep, I have chickens who roost in a tall tree (they do it just to irritate me) and they are definately up at dawn, but the ones in the solid wall coops sleep later, I'm pretty sure because it's darker in there.

 

[Coop de Grass]

That up at sunrise bit was just a guess. I have no way to know for sure.... Even if I got up early to check my dogs would start barking as soon as I was outside and the birds would be awake then for sure.

I've thought about getting a game camera or something of that sort. But, I am more interested in knowing what comes poking around the coop when I'm not there so that I know what predators to try and protect against.

Now, if I can just get Rusty to be as protective of the birds up close as he is from a distance I could let him be on patrol at night. At present he has a line of sight to one side of the coop. Lady - fenced yard by the house - has a line of sight to the other side of the coop. If one dog starts barking the other responds too. And Lady is rather blood thirsty when it comes to 'coons. So, I think I any prowling around would be announced.

Lucky you to have those dogs! We just put down our small dog (Jack Russell mix) and are not ready to get another, let alone a large dog... I really want an outdoor camera as well. DH says that I should be glad we didn't have one when the coons killed the chicks. He says that I wouldn't have wanted to see that. I heard it when I reviewed the inside camera footage to try to figure out when it happened. For me the out door camera is another tool to provide me with more information...who was it, how did they get in?

 

[User395221]

They are such sneaky little devilettes!

I knew they were still laying because they were giving the "announcements", I just couldn't figure out where (my backyard is huge, last time someone had her own "spot" in under the roses, I didn't find that for months and months). They had moved from their little house to their new big house. I did check the little house thinking they might have still been going back there. Nada. They (or someone) had started laying in another shelter I had in their yard. It's just bare wood, nothing comfy to sit on.... I suppose if you were looking for peace and quiet and privacy it was a good spot, otherwise I don't "get it" at all.

 

[Coop de Grass]

I knew they were still laying because they were giving the "announcements", I just couldn't figure out where (my backyard is huge, last time someone had her own "spot" in under the roses, I didn't find that for months and months). They had moved from their little house to their new big house. I did check the little house thinking they might have still been going back there. Nada. They (or someone) had started laying in another shelter I had in their yard. It's just bare wood, nothing comfy to sit on.... I suppose if you were looking for peace and quiet and privacy it was a good spot, otherwise I don't "get it" at all.

I am officially jealous. We have an acre, which is bigger than the 10th of an acre we had before, but not nearly enough for me!

I'm thinking that Australian chickens are more creative. Maybe it is cooler in that shelter? Don't you love those announcements?

 

[User395221]

I'm thinking that Australian chickens are more creative. Maybe it is cooler in that shelter? Don't you love those announcements?

"Creative" is one way of looking at it I suppose LOL. Everywhere's cool, it's winter. The announcements seemed to be just outside the back door, so I was thinking they were doing it on the patio, I wouldn't be surprised if I found another stash there somewhere.