Can someone tell me what is going on in this chickens little brain?

[Dorte]

I have been letting my three girls free range in my backyard for a while now. They are doing great, they run in there when I open the gate and they go in, and in the evening they return to their coop when I let them out.

All three like to hang out on the patio right outside the door to the house which annoys me a bit since it is not exactly the place I like a pile of poop, so I have been trying to get them to go elsewhere (without much success). Normally they just hang out there, peck at whatever is on the concrete and drink the dogs water (they have their own water elsewhere as well). I moved the dogs water, but that didn't seem to make much difference.

Today it got worse. One of the chickens is constantly outside the window making a lot of noise (like calling noises). At first I thought she got away from the other two and was looking for them, but after I reunited the gang the same chicken immediately went back to yelling outside the door. When I opened the door it ran inside. I quickly got it back out, but it stayed out there looking for any chance to get in. She pecks the window, runs against the window, and makes loud noises that I haven't really heard her make before. I have a three year old who does not always remember to close the door, and the idea of having chicken poop inside does NOT appeal to me.

Is this normal? It is normally not the most sociable of the three girls, although she is OK with me touching her sometimes. All three girls are from this spring but they are not laying yet. The trouble chicken looks like the more mature of the three and seems to be the leader of the little flock.

Is there a way I can try to discourage them from staying right on the porch and running into my window? Had it been cats I would try to spray them with water.

 

[Olive Hill]

Do they have food available while free ranging?

You can spray chickens with water, they'll run just like cats. I trained some to stay out of the garden that way.

 

[tuesdays chicks]

i'm giggling here sounds like she knows where your coop is and wants to see if there's a good place to roost or make a nest, my pullet come to my back door too usually about 6:30 when they know I should be coming out to feed them. its not very nice because my back door is about 3 feet from my pool I scrape the poop up and hose it down away from the pool the cost of free ranging your birds as a bycer.

 

[Judy]

Usually what they are after is you, for the treats you bring.

 

[Dorte]

I do not put their regular food out when I let them out. I figured that they could search for their own food for the hours they get to be outside, there should be plenty of stuff for them. Often I will serve them a snack for outside, like today they got some scrambled egg leftovers. Should I put their regular food out?

 

[Judy]

They should have access to their regular food 24/7, or at least all hours they are awake, and they can wake up at 4 AM.

 

[Olive Hill]

Sounds to me like she's hungry and knows you're the one with the food.

Depending on the size of your backyard and the types of vegetation available you may be erroneously assuming they're getting more than they really are out of it. Chickens tend to get very little out of grassy areas so unless you have extensive gardens with underbrush areas it's unlikely they're actually getting a meal out of it. That said, some chickens are less motivated to forage regardless of the setting, they'd sit by an empty feeder all day waiting for you to come fill it before getting off their behind and finding something for themselves. We cull those chickens.

 

[cottage19]

We have given up trying to keep the chickens in "their" place since they believe that "their" place is where ever we are. They gather on the deck and watch us drink our morning coffee, they follow us into the workshop and oversee out projects, they come running to back door when they hear it open and grumble when no treats are offered. I spend a bit of time each day cleaning up some poop but the joy we get from our 7 girls (plus the great eggs) makes it all worth while. Love those girls!

 

[crawfordmama]

I don't have an answer to your dilemma, because we're going through the same thing. My chickens are always on the deck looking for me, jumping up onto the window sills, and pecking at the door. "Let me in!" Today it was raining, and I found them in the garage, just hanging out. They know where I go in and out of, and I assume they're looking for treats. I just have a few extra poop piles to clean up.

 

[sourland]

She's looking for a place to lay an egg. Perhaps your sofa?