constructing a single chicken family unit for porch

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centrarchid

Crossing the Road
14 Years
Sep 19, 2009
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Holts Summit, Missouri
Very soon my trained American game pullet (Sallie) will become a full fledged hen with a transition to broodiness shortly thereafter. I would like to have her and her brood available before and after work so she, eggs and bitties can be weighed on a regular basis. Sallie already stands on scale but taking her and entire brood into house as done now will be a pain. Scale for measuring requires electricity so front porch has all needed plus location where she roost already. Nest box will be provided at about 4 feet above ground on shelf tier immediately below roost. She and Eduardo (desired sire) should find it immediately. Soil and wheat straw will be provided for Sallie to create nest in and moderate changes in humidity.

Concern I have is providing cover from eyes of red-tail hawk yet allowing Sallie to bolt if a predator does come calling. While on nest she will be away from protection of group and vegetative cover. To compensate, I want to provide some form of camofluage. Sallie herself is cryptically colored almost like a red jungle fowl. Any ideas on coverings she can see through? I also want her to bring chicks back each night once they are air worthy which is another concern to be addressed later.
 
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I know you'll come up with something interesting. You always do.

How about some fake plants she can see through and escape through if needed? I find them to be plentiful and inexpensive at the local second hand stores.
 
If I understand you correctly, you're planning to put a nest for your hen out in the open, with no solid walls, wire or security of any kind from predators? Um, yikes.

Hens will often stay on their nests to protect their eggs or chicks rather than flee from predators. A friend of ours lost his Aseel hen to a raccoon that way. If you go ahead with this idea, understand that you may lose your bird and/or her chicks to this plan.

I use a portable, battery powered digital scale to weigh my birds. I just bring it right out to the coop and it's very convenient. The chickens stay safe in their own secure housing, too.
 
Burlap idea sound good.


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Elmo,

My chickens and their ancestors raised chicks in barns, under farm equipment, in woodlots and on front porch for many generations without confinement.

I have had many hens that were harmed by or lost to predators. Obviously not all are lost otherwise line would have gone extent. Aseels are from my understanding decidely inferior to my birds when it comes to reproducing in a free-range setting where I live. Some of the anti-predator behaviors have been bred out or of secondary concern to selection for gameness. My birds have alway had to survive / breed on a walk (free-range) before selection for game attributes could occur.


Even so, risk for birds and worry for me is cost of freedom for the birds. Freedom does seem to matter for some chickens.

I have the coop arrangement for dominique broodstock and those birds actually harder to get to stand on scale. The games can fly / hop up to my level on table that is always present and that they are accustomed to. Placing the table in each coop is not practical and is a stressor. When I tower over the birds they tend to be scared. Darn doms are more flighty than games. Flighty not best term, maybe figidity better and they are near the upper limit of scale capacity. I already have the AC powered scale.
 
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I just wanted to make sure you realized the risk. We belong to a local poultry group, and we've met so many folks there who are really, genuinely surprised and upset when their birds are picked off by predators. I guess many people living in the suburbs have forgotten that it really is a jungle out there....for a chicken.

I don't think the biggest risk to your nesting hen is going to be a raptor, though. It's a ground based predator, like a raccoon, fox or weasel.
 
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My dog now makes forays for ground predators risky. Also nest site right outside master bedroom window where most critters to not like to be. I go out frequently to check what is making racket and by time Sallie starts setting, the dog will be sleeping within feet of her in front of door. Racoons not been our way lately owing at least in part to lack of suitable forage and introduction of dog. Weasels like a stream or seep to move along while my patch is upland. Weasel for me never a problem to birds able to get about. Weasels seem more a problem for confied birds.

Raptors (red-tails only concern) constantly coming in to take voles from perch providing line of site to my intended nest site for Sallie. Ground providing key attraction for hawk is not mine to management against not possible.
 
To allow her to have babies out in the open and no protection is a death sentence to her and her babies, without a doubt
 
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