Best Temporary Enclosure for Healing Hen?

[Fishychick]

So, I had a handyman out yesterday to try to make my second chicken house liveable (that contractors never finished a year ago) so I can move three of my cockerels to there. He's coming back Wednesday but there's no roof or windows on the house right now. The problem is Perky. Perky has always been nutty. The day she was born (April 2018), the first born, she ran around the incubator knocking everybody over. She clucks and screams a lot even when she's completely alone. She hatched six babies in April (4 boys!), and after they were five weeks old, she turned on them, and they were all scared of her but not anymore. The problem is that it's not just mating interest from the boys. Since Perky is nuts and runs and screams, they run after her like prey and tear at her skin, biting hard. Today, I realized that she has some bad wounds. So, she has to be away from all chickens to heal. I treated her wounds. I tried to bring her in to a large rabbit cage that I had but she wouldn't stop running in circles and screaming. She wanted to go back outside and be with her tormentors. She's in the small run now, all alone but has to be out of there on Wed when the handyman returns.

What is the best cage that I can either keep her in inside without her screaming all the time or a cage that I can put within the main chicken run? I need something inexpensive (when I tell you that I've spent about $25,000 on the chickens in the last two years, it's no lie, and I'm not rich) and fast to put up and not heavy. I need it yesterday (ok, months ago).

I am worried with her away from the flock that the other hens who, so far, have no major injuries, are going to get it next. There are a lot of "if only's." If only I could have attracted a mate of my own, and I'd have him out doing this for me. If only I had made the house and run split in half so I could put boys in one side and girls in the other side. If only I were rich and could pay for lots of huge cages. If only I had time off of work. If only I never let Perky sit on eggs. I know, I screwed up royally. But, I can't go back. I can only go forward. Nobody will adopt my boys alive (and except for this behavior and the gang rapes, they are good boys) so it's up to me to find a way to keep Perky and the others safe. Perky has never been calm in her entire life! I have a very hard time catching her as well to medicate or move. She doesn't realize that her flighty behavior is what's getting her chased and hurt. I have four other hens. One is completely laid back, hangs with the older rooster, and doesn't run so she's mostly left alone. One is brooding nothing (for weeks now) and in great shape. I've seen her still chase the cockerels who are now three times her size. The two young hens stay on roost almost all the time. I mounted food and water bowls on the roosts last week so that helps.

I've seen adult hens and roosters treat their chicks with such love but adults to adults, it can be vicious.

I sure hope the handyman can make the smaller house liveable on Wed so I can put three roosters in there. Why not five? Because, I designed it to be a small area for quarantine, not for permanent housing.

I know I'm horrible. I'm sure most of you will simply attack me and tell me again to murder all the roosters who have a right to live. Instead of bashing me, help me figure out how to house Perky. She's tiny, fast, and nutty. She needs to heal. If she's in a cage within the main cage, I think that would help for eventual reintroduction. Do they sell something like that?

 

[pennyJo1960]

I do not think your nuts maybe a bit crazy like most of us dog crates exhibition crate to us dog folks your can get them cheep on craigs list
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018YCTH7W/?tag=backy-20

 

[aart]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018YCTH7W/?tag=backy-20

Yup...but go a bit bigger....24x18x20.
Then trick out the bottom with some 1x2 cage wire.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

 

[micstrachan]

Yes, I’d go metal dog crate, too. Will she be somewhere predator proof at night? Raccoons can reach through the wire crate, but it’s a great way to heal a hen and keep her with the flock.

 

[Fishychick]

I have two dog crates in the basement (old, dirty, well used from previous sick chickens and cats). The problem with them (aside from they're heavy and hard to get to) is that the holes are large enough that Perky can stick her neck out. If outside, the other chickens could then go after her through the larger holes. Inside, she'll just jam her head in and out. She's so nuts, she'd probably break her own neck. She never stops moving. My other hens are calm.

My complex is called Chickentopia. It includes one 30-year-old big, nice house, one new large run, one new small run, and the new smaller house that is attached to the small run. I have 2x4's all over, like "trees" everywhere. The extra house and run was for when I had a sick chicken, maybe ONE extra rooster, or chicks. Now, it will be holding 3 of the 5 boys once I get the house fixed (hopefully he'll finish Wed). If I had made it bigger, I would put all the boys in there. While it rains inside that house, there is wire and decking (a walkway) above it so it's 100% predator safe just not weather safe. The smallest opening in Chickentopia is just an inch to prevent animals like squirrels (years ago, my chickens would kill the squirrels), larger snakes, etc. from getting in. The bottom two feet is vinyl-coated hardware cloth, turned out at 90 degrees and buried a foot out under the ground (had foxes dig in to the old pen so learned that lesson). If I put Perky in a smaller cage outside, it would have to be within Chickentopia so she would be safe from predators but not from the other chickens if the cage were not sturdy enough, or the holes too big. I would never put a chicken in a dog kennel outside of Chickentopia. A fox would easily bite the head off said chicken through the too-large holes. I have foxes galavanting all over. I even found one drowned in my pond. They trigger my driveway camera about once a month.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I ran hardware cloth zip tied to the dog crates that way it is safe

 

[slordaz]

hmmm, crazy chicken, I didn't know they could act like they had ADHD other then the constant screeching would be aggravating even to me, Maybe put a blanket over it and trick her into thinking it's night time would help with some of the screeching. but hardware cloth around it should keep her inside and the others away from here. Maybe her constant screeching is what is irritating the roosters into attacking her

 

[Fishychick]

Yes, I'm afraid poor Perky's histrionic behavior of running and screaming even when no one is near her is like an aphrodiasiac to the roosters. Anyway, Perky is in the small run and house and safe. She's finally calm, laying in some straw in the dark house (no windows or water protection (not supposed to rain this week and hasn't in over a month)), quiet. She either finally realizes that she's safe, or she's dying. I hope she can recover. If she doesn't make it, I would put the other four hens in the small area instead of three of the roosters. They'd have the smaller and crappier set up but I could let them in the big run every once in a while, leaving the boys in the big house like prisoners for the day.

Unrelated to the Perky thing, this morning, Angel, the daddy, was doing his "come hither, beautiful hen" dance to his son Hope who was a late bloomer. Hope, was like, "what the bleep, I'm a boy,"so he fluffed up his neck feathers and tried to engage his father in a fight. One peck from daddy, and Hope was off running.

 

[aart]

was doing his "come hither, beautiful hen" dance to his son

This behavior is also done to provoke a fight.