I had to move my girls to a run. They hate it. I hate it. We all hate it.

[humblehillsfarm]

A feral cat caught and killed two chicks forcing us to finish the much-needed 200sq foot run (16 gauge galvanized steel 7.5' tall hardware cloth) attached to the coop, plus an additional space with chicken wire which adds about 300sq feet.

Now my chickens stand in the corner of the run closest to our house and literally scream toward the house all day. When they see me step outside they scream even louder. It is a desperate call I never thought was possible. However, we've not lost any more chicks. They couldn't make their feelings about the situation any clearer.

Emotionally, I miss my chickens. I miss them pooping on my porch and being underfoot everywhere I go. I definitely spend far less time with them because of this transition. However, I can feel safe knowing my chicks are safe AND my chickens are not playing in the middle of the road, which aside from picking berries, is their favorite past time.

I know I'm doing the right thing, but gosh it's just been tearing me up.

 

[cheepteach]

being a responsible animal caretaker can be hard. Keep making a point to interact with them in their run

 

[Malkaris]

My chickens hate being confined too - the cost of having a taste of freedom I'm afraid. They make a ton of noise whenever a person is outside demanding to be let out, though they can occupy themselves... if they don't see me!

What do your hens have to do in their new run? Are there perches and things to sit in? Lots of food and water dishes so they can go from one to the other? Dust baths and stuff to scratch in and maybe hanging cabbage or broccoli?

 

[Lady Clucks-a-Lot]

Mine just scream all day and cluck as loud as they possibly could. I trying REALLY, REALLY, hard to try to understand what they're saying, but so far I could only tell when they're stressed and when they're happy (I've been trying for nearly a year, TRYING to see the difference between each cluck. But it just doesn't work for me). I tries my best to ignore the clucks (they're not screaming, they're clucking something even worst than screaming : VERY, VERY, annoyed sounded clucks that continues all days long! And they even take turns so that it always continues! One rest, other start, over and over again. But I just CAN'T let them out. I mean, I want to very much, but I just don't won't to sweep the poops they poop on our patio. They seemed to be very fond of our patio and just sometimes naps their, pooping in front of the door and it always takes at least half an hour to sweep out all of the poops and marks. They also destroys our vegetables. No matter how hard we try to fence the vegetable place up, they always gets in it. For example, 10 tomatoes grown, 9 destroyed. All of the vegetable leaves are pecked and totally not edible. Digs up all of our new planted flowers. Oh dear. Trouble Makers.

 

[Perris]

why don't you try just keeping the chicks confined?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

My chickens hate being confined too - the cost of having a taste of freedom I'm afraid. They make a ton of noise whenever a person is outside demanding to be let out, though they can occupy themselves... if they don't see me!

What do your hens have to do in their new run? Are there perches and things to sit in? Lots of food and water dishes so they can go from one to the other? Dust baths and stuff to scratch in and maybe hanging cabbage or broccoli?

I throw them scratch, mealworms, and pellet feed (blended together) in the evening. Currently they have some places to hide under, and a large flat rock they can fit under or perch on. I need to add another perch. There are three waterers that they have access too. Last night I let them out an hour before dark and they got to stretch their legs a little more. Weirdly enough they seemed much more lovey toward me!

why don't you try just keeping the chicks confined?

Because mama hen would freak out. They are six weeks old at this point. They were confined for the first two weeks but mom says very clearly when she is ready to join the rest of the flock.

Mine just scream all day and cluck as loud as they possibly could. I trying REALLY, REALLY, hard to try to understand what they're saying, but so far I could only tell when they're stressed and when they're happy (I've been trying for nearly a year, TRYING to see the difference between each cluck. But it just doesn't work for me). I tries my best to ignore the clucks (they're not screaming, they're clucking something even worst than screaming : VERY, VERY, annoyed sounded clucks that continues all days long! And they even take turns so that it always continues! One rest, other start, over and over again. But I just CAN'T let them out. I mean, I want to very much, but I just don't won't to sweep the poops they poop on our patio. They seemed to be very fond of our patio and just sometimes naps their, pooping in front of the door and it always takes at least half an hour to sweep out all of the poops and marks. They also destroys our vegetables. No matter how hard we try to fence the vegetable place up, they always gets in it. For example, 10 tomatoes grown, 9 destroyed. All of the vegetable leaves are pecked and totally not edible. Digs up all of our new planted flowers. Oh dear. Trouble Makers.

They are absolutely the biggest trouble makers. Their latest antics include trying to eat the paint off of our garage door, and stealing the cat’s food. Ironically when they free range we have an enclosure for meat birds and several can jump over the fence into it. The fence is the same height as the garden fence and extra square footage around their run, but they never have jumped into the garden or out of the run. Weirdos.