I'm wondering if I should continue doing this

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

Hello, I'm in a high-predator area with at least one major predator stopping by every afternoon! My girls are pets and I love my fluffy bums. Sadly, we've lost three already to a bobcat, who figured out where the grocery store is, who has nabbed one just 6 feet away from me! We got the idea to add a chicken kennel to an area of the grass so they can sort of free-range without being eaten. However, the main issue is that due to our small yard and the placement of the coop, the kennel is a separate to the coop. Currently, I wait at the far side of the coop run with my arms open and if they walk in to my arms I bring them to the kennel. They get a minimum of 3 hours out with available food and water. If they start pacing back and forth on the side with the coop, I let that one back. Our girls have just started to lay. I'm wondering if I should continue this? I don't grab them if they're in/under the coop, but I'm wondering if they go broody should I stop this behavior all-together? None of them have laid while in the kennel yet, but these girls are just figuring it out! Also, should I add a laying box to the kennel? Should I raise it up?

Additionally, if they do go broody, should I force them in to the kennel by grabbing them? Is this wrong?

 

[thecatumbrella]

That's so frustrating and I'm sorry you've had losses.

Clearly, it would be ideal if you could bridge the coop with a protected area to range and forage. I'd consider that a long-term goal. In the meantime, I'd say it's somewhat ideal to be moving a broody to the protected kennel area. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Hopefully it turns out to be a kind way to break them, if you don't want to hatch eggs.

 

[Mrs. K]

I hear you on predators - so aggravating. My dear hubby was mowing fire protection with a bush mower - huge screaming noise, soI figured that should scare predators away and I let mine out - lost one. UGH!

I think I would train them to go to the kennel without being caught. But then again, my chickens will not walk into my arms. So if that works for you, nothing wrong with it. You could train them by only offering food there, a treat there.

I would put a nest in the kennel. Nothing wrong with doing that. Doesn't have to be fancy. Add an egg and they will catch right on. Really it doesn't matter where they lay, if you KNOW where they are laying. I would encourage them to lay there.

If you get one that goes broody - she will pick the nest. In my experience, I think she knows more about it than I do, and I have never had any luck trying to move them, so I would just leave her be. They really seldom leave the nest, so I don't see why the others can't go to the kennel. Mostly, I just leave the broody hen alone.

Mrs K

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

That's so frustrating and I'm sorry you've had losses.

Clearly, it would be ideal if you could bridge the coop with a protected area to range and forage. I'd consider that a long-term goal. In the meantime, I'd say it's somewhat ideal to be moving a broody to the protected kennel area. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Hopefully it turns out to be a kind way to break them, if you don't want to hatch eggs.

I've considered a tunnel for a while! All I need to figure out is a door system on both sides. The two things actually stopping me is our electrical wire does not go around the kennel, and my grandfather loves to garden and uses the area between the coop and the kennel as a pathway. He's been not letting me put anything in that space.

There is not a rooster as I fear that will drive our neighbors insane, so these girls have no reason to be sitting on their eggs.

As they get handled a lot, even the newest and most anxious ones will now come in to my arms after three weeks of using this outside run system if they know that's how they get out. Does take around 20~ minutes to get all of them to be willing to come out since there are 8 but it works. I might give them a temporary kid's crawl tunnel and see if they prefer it better, but I can totally see one just stopping in there or being adverse to the smaller space. Before I got the whole one by one moving strategy down, I let them out like they were going to free-range and set a few barriers down so they couldn't run the other ways, but this was disastrous. LOL!

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

I hear you on predators - so aggravating. My dear hubby was mowing fire protection with a bush mower - huge screaming noise, soI figured that should scare predators away and I let mine out - lost one. UGH!

I think I would train them to go to the kennel without being caught. But then again, my chickens will not walk into my arms. So if that works for you, nothing wrong with it. You could train them by only offering food there, a treat there.

I would put a nest in the kennel. Nothing wrong with doing that. Doesn't have to be fancy. Add an egg and they will catch right on. Really it doesn't matter where they lay, if you KNOW where they are laying. I would encourage them to lay there.

If you get one that goes broody - she will pick the nest. In my experience, I think she knows more about it than I do, and I have never had any luck trying to move them, so I would just leave her be. They really seldom leave the nest, so I don't see why the others can't go to the kennel. Mostly, I just leave the broody hen alone.

Mrs K

I've felt the same way! The only predator I cannot scare off is a mountain lion or an eagle. They will still try. I plug my ears and put a speaker outside with rave music or shooting sounds and that can sometimes work. Still though, my birds are absolutely clueless! Only one of them is predator-aware and makes a panic call. Hopefully the bears don't come around, I've heard other coops get ravaged for fruit they put in there for the birds to eat.

Luckily, my chickens act more like dogs and will easily jump on my lap to eat whatever I'm eating if I'm in their reach. No problems picking them up as long as they walk up to me and they see my face! Weirdly enough, they'll freak out if I'm talking to them but if they see my face when I pick them up they're very calm.

I'll try my best to find something they're willing to nest in. Possibly a grocery store will give me a milk crate!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I've considered a tunnel for a while! All I need to figure out is a door system on both sides…

if both end destinations of the tunnel (the run area and the ranging area) are secure, why do you need doors?

Not being snarky! I think I’m having problems visualizing your setup.

- eta: if your areas are secure, and you’re just trying to control access from one area to the other, a few cinder blocks on one end would do the job.

 

[The Moonshiner]

if both end destinations of the tunnel (the run area and the ranging area) are secure, why do you need doors?

Not being snarky! I think I’m having problems visualizing your setup.

- eta: if your areas are secure, and you’re just trying to control access from one area to the other, a few cinder blocks on one end would do the job.

A doorway on both areas into the tunnel ends.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

if both end destinations of the tunnel (the run area and the ranging area) are secure, why do you need doors?

Not being snarky! I think I’m having problems visualizing your setup.

Because I'd like to close off their access to the free ranging part when I cannot watch them. We live in an area with a protected wildlife and forested area is our backyard. Re-homed wildlife is put back there so sometimes there is a new bear, coyote, often new hawks, but most commonly bobcats, that like to announce themselves. Additionally, their run area is in the least safe part of our yard. The next yard over is used as an animal high-way. While I enjoy the deer, the lynx and mountain lion are scary! Nothing comes close to the coop because we have electric wire and flashing lights around it, but the closer they get to that yard the more they're at risk. Luckily, these animals scare off raccoons, but it doesn't make my birds safer. The tunnel especially would be easy for anything to jump out of the forest on to a chicken.

Edit: the possible other door would be to prevent them from thinking laying in the tunnel is okay either.

If I think about it though, it'd still be much more difficult to add a permanent tunnel. Again, we have limited space as when we bought the house there were many concrete sectioned areas for gardening. The lawn area is just as much as the bushes!

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Because I'd like to close off their access to the free ranging part when I cannot watch them. We live in an area with a protected wildlife and forested area is our backyard. Re-homed wildlife is put back there so sometimes there is a new bear, coyote, often new hawks, but most commonly bobcats, that like to announce themselves. Additionally, their run area is in the least safe part of our yard. The next yard over is used as an animal high-way. While I enjoy the deer, the lynx and mountain lion are scary! Nothing comes close to the coop because we have electric wire and flashing lights around it, but the closer they get to that yard the more they're at risk. Luckily, these animals scare off raccoons, but it doesn't make my birds safer. The tunnel especially would be easy for anything to jump out of the forest on to a chicken.

Edit: the possible other door would be to prevent them from thinking laying in the tunnel is okay either.

If I think about it though, it'd still be much more difficult to add a permanent tunnel. Again, we have limited space as when we bought the house there were many concrete sectioned areas for gardening. The lawn area is just as much as the bushes!

Makes sense! Again, though, you don’t necessarily need a capital-d Door. You can just block off access with cinder blocks, plywood, etc.

The real-world logistics are definitely an issue. Asking people to hop over a 12”x12” high tunnel while carrying in groceries and carrying out the trash gets old very quickly.

I’ve seen elevated chicken tunnels above human head height to avoid this, but wow, convincing chickens to use this, and to not drop poop on your grandfather’s head, could be Interesting.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Have you looked into portable electric fencing?