Chicken Jail

[mystang89]

Here's another chicken question for you. 1 of my 5 bantam leghorn hens was a bad girl so she was put in jail. I've been told by a few people on here that if your alpha chicken is being a big enough bully to try and put her in Jail. So I went and did that today but now I, of course, have questions.
1.) How long do I keep her in there? I'm sure the amount varies but for a first time offender how long do you think it should be?
2.) How do you keep water in there without the dumb thing knocking over the bowl?
3.) If they stay in there over night how do they roost?
4.) How do they stay cool during these overly hot summer days? I have them on dirt moist dirt so she stay pretty cool.
5.) Since this is my ONLY bird out of 5 that is laying, what do I do about nesting? Should I expect a ban on eggs from her for a while?
Thanks again for the answers and good day.

 

[Zaxby's2]

I don't know what you mean by "chicken jail", but I would keep her in there for a couple of days. You'll probably just have to keep on replacing her water, though you can probably put something heavy in the waterer to weigh it down. About nesting, just put some straw or any other nesting material in there and she should be fine.

 

[Whittni]

1.) Overnight seems good enough.
2.) Buy a hanging waterer.
3.) They will jump or fly onto it
4.) They can pant or dustbath.
5.) just build a nesting box for her, they are really simple to build

Have some Fun!
~Hen

 

[mystang89]

By chicken jail I just mean a seperate cage to put her in, like a dog cage or something. So she can take a little breather and not peck my other chickens to death.

 

[Judy]

They don't have to have a roost or a nest box, especially short term, though some sort of roost may help her stay cool in this heat -- or not, if she can dig out a cool spot in the dirt. Nests are really for people convenience. Of course you could put nesting material in there, but she may prefer the cool dirt to either a roost or the nesting material, in this heat.

Staying cool for most people just means shade, breeze and of course ample water. Any chance she will drink out of a rabbit waterer? That's the simplest solution to clean water. I found I could teach most of mine by tapping the tip when it would drip on their beak, or touching their beak to the tip. For 20 they're too much trouble to keep filled, IMO, but for one....

I've read that a week is ideal, though I've also read of people having jail do the trick in a day or two. I believe the week is supposed to ensure they return at the bottom of the pecking order. You could certainly try returning her after a night out.

 

[mystang89]

I think i am going to try to see if keeping her in there over night does the trick. I'm a little fond of her, since she is the only one that actually comes up to me when I walk around. She follows me like a little dog. Since she's a leghorn and not fond of people in the first place I kinda like it. Yeah, I know, special treatment, but if the others decided to follow me around too, and lay eggs, I'd act the same way.

 

[Nicole01]

I kept mine in for a week. It was my eldest EE and she was bullying the youngest and the youngest was a banty d'uccle. I tried letting her free after 3 days, but nope, still a big bully. After a week, my EE was being very polite.

Her jail was a wire dog kennel inside the coop. My EE lost top rank, which is now my Brahma. My brahma is a much better and not so mean top hen.

Oh, it's been 2 months since jail and my EE never bullied again.

 

[terrilhb]

I have one I am fixing to put into chicken jail. She is just evil at times. I have 3 coops. She is in with 1 rooster and 1 other hen. She is constantly ripping out the other's feathers and pecks my rooster in the butt and has made sores. I keep treating him. And believe me she will stay in chicken jail for a couple of days. This is what she looks like.

She is 1/2 Minorca and 1/2 RIR. Chicken Jail for her.

 

[mystang89]

That is an evil looking hen

I think after tomorrow, when I let her out and see how she's doing, that I will have to make some modifications to the Chicken jail. I don't think they will drink out of a rabbit watterer since they don't really even come up to me without a fight. I might get a large water bowl that is for dogs and put a brick in it to stabalize it. After that, well, jail isn't supposed to be all roses.

 

[mystang89]

When you all put your chickens in a separate cage do you completely separate her from the others or keep her around so they can see her?