Hello all! Newbie Chicken Caregiver

Pics
Date sort Score sort
LTAY1946 said:
Sad that they leave it up to others to feed and care for their flock. Sounds like all they care about is free eggs from this point. Their chicken match may not have realized what it would cost to feed and care for them with predator proof runs and coops either.
Click to expand...
Oh I bet a good number of us didn’t realize what all that costs (hubby calls mine the Golden Girls, due to the expense)! But none of us just leave the birds to their own devices. I’m guessing they aren’t being fed and that’s why they roam.
 
tlcmurphy said:
Oh I bet a good number of us didn’t realize what all that costs (hubby calls mine the Golden Girls, due to the expense)! But none of us just leave the birds to their own devices. I’m guessing they are t being fed and that’s why they roam.
Click to expand...
Spot on. They wouldn't roam so far at least if they were being fed. Nothing keeps mine from crossing a highway except that they don't leave their feeders and water that far behind them. They don't bother the neighbors either. Closest neighbor is only 300 yards away and they don't go to see him. Neighbor comes here for his eggs. He does some things for me I can't do. He gets lots of eggs in return.
 
tlcmurphy said:
Oh I bet a good number of us didn’t realize what all that costs (hubby calls mine the Golden Girls, due to the expense)! But none of us just leave the birds to their own devices. I’m guessing they aren’t being fed and that’s why they roam.
Click to expand...
Now that I've had a closer look, I am confident they aren't being fed -- nothing regular or wholesome at least. When we first met the woman, she was roaming in our back yard and luring them "home" with cheerios. She told us that she had seen us feeding them and hoped they weren't "bothering us." I pointed out that we had water bowls for them and gave them treats. She was quick to say a few things that were intended to make me think they have lots of food and water at home. She also said they had a coop with a tree that they would roost in. Not having any prior experience with chickens, I took most of what she said at face value at that point. She pointed out all the places she knew they were getting fed. That's when I started to realize just how far they roam. She acted surprised that we would name them and even more surprised as my daughter started describing some of the little habits and details about them. We knew in our gut that we were more attached to them, but it didn't feel like it was something we should dwell on since we had finally figured out where they were coming from.

When we carried Dumplin down to their house after the accident, no one came to the door. We walked around the side to the backyard just to be sure no one was there. That's when I was able to see what I think they are calling a coop. It was like nothing I've ever seen. I can't shake what I saw. 3 pieces of plywood nailed together to form the walls in a U shape a partial piece forms the 4th wall, so it has an opening for the "door," which was another piece of plywood leaned against the coop corner. It appeared they probably lean or fasten that "door" plywood against the wall. Inside the coop, on one wall there are 5-6 small nesting boxes. there is no covering at all in the coop except maybe what's provided by the nesting boxes and the space directly under those boxes. We had 4" of rain on Sunday. That immediately entered my mind as I looked at this rig. Where do the roosters stay? Do the chickens stand in the mud during downpours at night?

Inside that coop, I saw nothing like a feeder or watering space. When we turned around to leave, I noticed the flock had followed us and were poking around the mobile home. Most of them went up under the trailer -- it's wide open on one end and has a ton of random stuff up under in and around the side. I suspect the chickens use that space as a coop at times. The only signs of providing for the chickens I saw was a heat lamp attached to the side of the coop (on the outside next to the ground -- which made no sense to me) and a soup dish filled with water on a porch swing. One other thing -- they have fencing around a trampoline. I have no idea if that's some sort of chicken arrangement but it seemed odd.

I haven't included this detail because it makes me uneasy on a completely different level. When my husband stopped by to tell them about the accident and that we had Dumplin with us for the time being, she mentioned the one rooster having his tail bitten off by a coyote. Not sure how they know that for a fact, but there is definitely a coyote in the area. She said her husband was "hunting it" now. My husband thinks this man is literally hunting the coyote on foot on the land around the house and in neighbor's yards with a gun. My gut instinct is to keep a distance from them, do what we can for the chickens, and pray. Anytime the chickens are on our land, they will be well-treated and fed. I've ordered chicken feed so I can provide real nutrition for them -- in hopes they won't wander so much. If they get what they need nutrition-wise and are satisfied, I'm hopeful they won't roam so far.

I knew on some level that Dumplin would not be able to return to the normal flock if she recovered. (I couldn't see her being able to hand the roosters and their nonstop romancing if nothing else.) Because of that, my mind was considering what we would do if we got her rehabilitated. With the 'owners' not following up, I felt it was perfectly fine to consider options for long term care. My brother has 1 hen and a very nice coop. My thought was that we could see if Dumplin could integrate into his coop with her. Knowing that would be a possible place to take a chicken in need away from this flock helps me cope.
 
chrissynemetz said:
Welcome to BYC! I'm so sorry about Dumplin :hugs
Do the chickens go back to their coop at night, or do they stay around your yard?
Click to expand...
Thank you! They go back to their coop at night. At daybreak they dash here and immediately head to the water dishes. Then, they eat. When the family moved in, we were away for 5 weeks. It took some time to figure out whose chickens they were -- they visit houses within a 1/2 mile radius (at least). I think they would have had a harder time getting the chickens trained to go back to their coop if we had been around. Best I can tell, we are the most consistent caregivers. We keep food and water around. I suspect many of the neighbors feed them scraps and treats when they happen to be around and see them.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom