Bantam Showed up in LA backyard

[kcan2]

Thank you for replying to my post. I do happen to call her pretty Pearl every day because she is. Good to know that you came upon chickenship like I have. I will be mindful of keeping treats to 10% so that she eats her special feed. I did a lot of research for the run too and eventually found a tall kennel enclosure. There were so many runs on Amazon that looked too flimsy. Peral deserves a safe home.

I learned so much from BYC! There are lots of helpful and very knowledgeable folks here so never hesitate to ask questions as they come up! I kept my little guy in his new coop for a few weeks, as he used to sleep in a tree, too. Once figured out where the food, safety, and water was, he stopped being such a roamer. He loves his coop/run. I think Pearl will too, she is obviously a very smart girl!

 

[SilSal]

Welcome to BYC! Thanks for joining us.

- A week usually does the trick, but you can extend that time if she is stubborn. Has she been laying eggs in the coop? Could you post a picture of your setup?

-Pearl looks to be a mixed breed. I'm sure she'd love some company; you could add more bantams or get some standard sized breeds.

-For standard size birds, you want a minimum of 5sqft per bird in the coop, and 10sqft in the run, but bigger is always better. Since bantams are a little smaller, it's about 3sqft per bird in the coop, and 8sqft in the run. These measurements can vary depending on the birds temperaments, size, and total amount of birds you have. Your current setup works fine for Pearl now, and might allow for one addition, but if you decide to really expand your flock, you'll need more space.

-Chickens aren't dogs. Most don't like to be pet or held, though some are more tolerant of it than others. Treats are always good motivator to get an animal to like you. (do make sure you're feeding treats sparingly, no more than 10% of her diet). Try and get her to eat from your hand.

You might consider clipping her wings. Eventually they'll grow back, but it should prevent her from hoping so she'll get used to living in the coop.

Thank you for the warm welcome and sharing your expertise.

I will double check and make sure her treats are no more than 10% of her diet. Being able to hold her is to have a way to take her to the vet or give her medication. But yes, I want to know how silky her feathers are. For the time being, I continue making attempts to have her eat out of my hand.

I am attaching pics of the various parts of her set up. The run is actually a tall kennel made of reinforced aluminum. It still needs a roof and shade. I assembled the run so that Pearl can get used to seeing it. The coop will be elevated on cinder blocks and connected to the run so that Pearl has more room inside the run. Her nesting box will be connected to the back of the coop.

I welcome any thoughts you have about the proposed set up.

Pearl and I thank you!!!

 

[SilSal]

I learned so much from BYC! There are lots of helpful and very knowledgeable folks here so never hesitate to ask questions as they come up! I kept my little guy in his new coop for a few weeks, as he used to sleep in a tree, too. Once figured out where the food, safety, and water was, he stopped being such a roamer. He loves his coop/run. I think Pearl will too, she is obviously a very smart girl!

Good to know that there is hope for Pearl. To be left behind like that and survive. She deserves a home where she is well cared for and appreciated. I hope my hen is like your rooster.

I am learning so much. What a supportive community.

 

[SilSal]

Hello, Silvia, and welcome to BYC. Good luck with coop/pen training Pearl.

Thank you. I am feeling more confident about coop training Pearl.

 

[BDutch]

Your chickens are elegantly beautiful! What is the name of your Dutch bantam?

I have 4 Dutch. None of them has the right weight though. So not contest worthy at all.
Their names are: Ini mini (partridge colour), Black & Pearl (the 2 black bantams) and Kraai. Meaning crow in English and the one in my avatar pic. I have 2 more: a mixed up bantam chicken, daughter of Ini mini. And a bantam Rhode Island Red (rir).

I really like your idea of luring her into her run an hour before sunset. Would you recommend that I lure her instead of confining her into her coop for more than one week?

If she panics in the coop it is probably not a good idea to confine her in there. Chickens can get traumatised. Maybe she feels a lot safer in a tree as in the coop.
If you can make safe run (your run isn't now) it might be better to make a roost in there to start with. You have to try what works for your Pearl. Take one step at the time to get her adjusted to the safe coop.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hiya, Silvia, and welcome to BYC!! Pearl is beautiful! You have a great place for her. She should like it!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Welcome to BYC! We're glad you joined us!

 

[triciayoung]

Welcome. It is very kind of you to take Pearl on as your own. Thank you.
I am thinking we could design the best of both worlds here. @BDutch is correct that your run is not safe, but, let's start there. Can you put this run around one of those trees I see in your picture? If so, does the coop fit in there also? If so, then we can make your run safe by adding some 1/2 inch hardware cloth to the existing frame and attach the hardware cloth to the frame with zip ties, and then at the bottom, attached the hardware cloth and run it along the ground about 12-18 inches and cover it with stone or earth to prevent digging predators. The structure needs to be staked down better as well. This leaves the top exposed. I would securely fasten hawk net for the ceiling and then open a part of it during the day for her to climb the tree and then close the netting at night.

Frankly, I know that Pearl has good survival skills but during this season - she has just been lucky. It is baby season and predators that usually only hunt at night are desperately out during the day looking for food for their babies, and hunting more feverishly at night.

 

[kcan2]

Great advice from both @BDutch and @triciayoung about coop/run security for your precious Pearl!

Hardware cloth is great and necessary fortification - it's also sort of awful to work with, so wear gloves, long hardy sleeves that won't snag, and eyewear protection! A snipping tool (preferably with a spring to give your hand a break) works good for cutting the stuff.

 

[Tookie]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Nice to meet you, we're so glad you joined us!

Pearl is so cute and pretty! Good luck with her!