HEEEEEELLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!

[Ruler of the Roost]

I don’t know how to recapture the escapees

 

[Jakemedic]

So wait till sun down, they will want to get to where they roost. We leave our ladies out about a hour before sundown. They scratch and peck for a hour and magically they come home to roost. Welcome to the forum, good folks providing sound advice.

 

[NatJ]

I don’t know how to recapture the escapees

Open the door of the old run, put feed and water inside, be patient.
They will probably come back to sleep in the evening, because chickens usually do like to sleep in the familiar place.

After dark, close the old run, then go in and grab one. Carry it to the new run and put it in, then go back for the other. Every time you are inside a run trying to catch a chicken, make sure the door is firmly closed (I learned that through experience!)

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Hi again, I started with seven birds. Two roosters and 5 hens. The run that the previous owners had them is was very poorly constructed and within two weeks I lost three birds to predators. I built a new run from a Pawhut kit. (Zip ties were only in place to hold the chicken wire while I stitched the rest together with baling wire) dug 6” down laid 1/2” hardware cloth to keep digging whatever’s out. I am ordering a gravity fed water bowl and I currently am feeding them cracked corn cause it’s what I have but I’m upgrading them to crumble shortly and as soon as I can find a steady local supply in my new locality.

You seem to be doing well. You will probably need more hens, if there is not enough then the roosters will kill each other.

 

[NatJ]

You seem to be doing well. You will probably need more hens, if there is not enough then the roosters will kill each other.

I would not expect the number of hens to make a difference in whether the roosters kill each other. More hens mean each hen gets mated less often, which is easier on the hens.

Some roosters will kill each other no matter whether they have many hens or few or none (example: gamefowl that are bred to fight each other). Some other roosters will be fine with a large or small number of hens, or even no hens at all (this includes most of the domestic breeds of chicken that can easily be bought from hatcheries.)

Some individual roosters will behave differently that what is "normal" for their kind, but in general the number of hens will not be the thing that makes the difference. Amount of space, age of rooster, season of the year, and individual temperament will all have bigger effects than the number of hens.

 

[TwoCrows]

I don’t know how to recapture the escapees

Many times escapees will pace the fence to get back in for food and water. If you have a large wire dog crate, you can set it up along with food and water inline with their pacing the fence. Be ready, work them in if need be, when they go in, shut the door. I've had great luck with this method for quail escapees.

 

[Ruler of the Roost]

Open the door of the old run, put feed and water inside, be patient.
They will probably come back to sleep in the evening, because chickens usually do like to sleep in the familiar place.

After dark, close the old run, then go in and grab one. Carry it to the new run and put it in, then go back for the other. Every time you are inside a run trying to catch a chicken, make sure the door is firmly closed (I learned that through experience!)

That’s what I did last night. One has been roost g on top of the roost instead of inside of it and has figured out where to go that I can’t get to her. The other one actually broke through the chicken wire in a spot where the seem is compromised…

 

[Ruler of the Roost]

Many times escapees will pace the fence to get back in for food and water. If you have a large wire dog crate, you can set it up along with food and water inline with their pacing the fence. Be ready, work them in if need be, when they go in, shut the door. I've had great luck with this method for quail escapees.

I don’t have one, but I’ll try to figure something out.

 

[nuthatched]

Try to layer welded wire fencing or hardware cloth over the chicken wire, chicken wire won't keep out predators. Good job so far.

 

[Ruler of the Roost]

B

You seem to be doing well. You will probably need more hens, if there is not enough then the roosters will kill each other.

I would not expect the number of hens to make a difference in whether the roosters kill each other. More hens mean each hen gets mated less often, which is easier on the hens.

Some roosters will kill each other no matter whether they have many hens or few or none (example: gamefowl that are bred to fight each other). Some other roosters will be fine with a large or small number of hens, or even no hens at all (this includes most of the domestic breeds of chicken that can easily be bought from hatcheries.)

Some individual roosters will behave differently that what is "normal" for their kind, but in general the number of hens will not be the thing that makes the difference. Amount of space, age of rooster, season of the year, and individual temperament will all have bigger effects than the number of hens.

Well, I only have one rooster left…