Chickens running/flying into hardware cloth

[Cade S]

So I'm realizing I have an issue with my chickens flying/jumping into the hardware cloth which usually isn't too big of a deal (no one has knocked themselves silly yet). However, I've realized that they really can't tell where the door to the run is, which has caused issues for them getting back into the run/coop which all came to a head today.

My runt (who is a few fries short of a happy meal) got stuck outside the run (I'm doing supervised field trips out of the coop/run so they know how to get back in if something happens and they end up on the wrong side of the hardware cloth), and cried for about 30 minutes while running circles around the coop/run. She was too distressed to let me get her and I wasn't going to even attempt getting too close lest she take off into the woods. The rooster and my top hen were trying to help, but she kept jump into the hardware cloth to get to them rather than following them to the door which seemed to just escalate her panic of being separated from her flock.

Is there something I could or should do to make the hardware cloth more visible? I was thinking of maybe reflective material or even privacy panels or strips (like for chain link fences). Do I just need to keep working with them on finding the door?

 

[Penpal]

If you think this is nuts, get a couple of lambs. Egads.

Is there a Frame around the door opening? If you create a frame around the opening with a few boards painted with a bright color, that could clue the clueless. I would also put up anything to cover the HWC, like newspaper. Once she is going in the door you can gradually take down the newspaper.

 

[Mtnboomer]

To expand the previous suggestion, you may want to put up a permant solid barrier on both sides of the door. Sometimes old birds forget, and if you get new birds in the future you won't have to go through it again.

 

[aart]

So I'm realizing I have an issue with my chickens flying/jumping into the hardware cloth which usually isn't too big of a deal (no one has knocked themselves silly yet). However, I've realized that they really can't tell where the door to the run is, which has caused issues for them getting back into the run/coop which all came to a head today.

My runt (who is a few fries short of a happy meal) got stuck outside the run (I'm doing supervised field trips out of the coop/run so they know how to get back in if something happens and they end up on the wrong side of the hardware cloth), and cried for about 30 minutes while running circles around the coop/run. She was too distressed to let me get her and I wasn't going to even attempt getting too close lest she take off into the woods. The rooster and my top hen were trying to help, but she kept jump into the hardware cloth to get to them rather than following them to the door which seemed to just escalate her panic of being separated from her flock.

Is there something I could or should do to make the hardware cloth more visible? I was thinking of maybe reflective material or even privacy panels or strips (like for chain link fences). Do I just need to keep working with them on finding the door?

How old are these birds...and how long have you had them?
How long have they been going on field trips?

Pics of the set up would help here.

 

[Cade S]

If you think this is nuts, get a couple of lambs. Egads.

Is there a Frame around the door opening? If you create a frame around the opening with a few boards painted with a bright color, that could clue the clueless. I would also put up anything to cover the HWC, like newspaper. Once she is going in the door you can gradually take down the newspaper.

Thank you! This all makes sense and I'll definitely start with framing and then hopefully it'll stop raining long enough to put a solid barrier up.

 

[Cade S]

How old are these birds...and how long have you had them?
How long have they been going on field trips?

Pics of the set up would help here.

They're almost 16 weeks, been doing field trips since about 10 weeks. It's about 2-3 times a week at this point because the weather has been so gnarly.

I'll have to get some up to date photos since we just finished the hardware cloth, but I should have some photos of the coop and run on my page (run is before we finished hardware cloth, but it wraps all the way around and comes up three feet from the ground).

 

[Cade S]

To expand the previous suggestion, you may want to put up a permant solid barrier on both sides of the door. Sometimes old birds forget, and if you get new birds in the future you won't have to go through it again.

Cool, I'll look at getting some tarp material or something similar.

 

[Cade S]

To expand the previous suggestion, you may want to put up a permant solid barrier on both sides of the door. Sometimes old birds forget, and if you get new birds in the future you won't have to go through it again.

I went with your suggestion of a permanent option and put up some old left over landscaping cloth. Seems to be thin/see through enough that they don't hate it when they're in their run, but my rooster had a much easier time moving them into the run when the mailman drove up the lane and they've stopped flying into the sides of the run.

No stress and I didn't even have to bribe them with treats.