Moving soon- various questions

[Oncoming Storm]

Due to some personal things...I’m moving back to my smaller home with several neighbors and a small yard...since we moved in to our current house, our flock has grown to over 20 strong. We’re working on getting a fence and such. But I’m worried about our neighbors. One of them moved away to start their cult (I’m not kidding) and a new family lives there. The other neighbors were lenient with having a rooster and he was freaking loud. The wife said it reminded her of home. My moms already limited me to one rooster out of our six (no surprises there) but I’m worried about the hens. Most of my flock grew up having acres and acres to roam. Now most of them are going to be moved to an acre at most. How long do you think it will take them to acclimate? We have an old run but it’s been abandoned for years and was barely enough to hold six chickens. I know the new neighbors have dogs and I know for a fact they don’t have a fence. I don’t know how my chickens would react to a fence. Hopefully if I provide enough roosting areas (or the giant tree in the middle of the yard) they’ll leave the fence alone. I mean when our first batch lived at that house, they didn’t go near the neighbors with the fenced in yard because giant dogs but they weren’t raised free ranged. So...I guess the biggest question here is how do you think the best way to handle the situation would be? (ps the reason we’re not leaving them at the current house with lots of room is because we’re afraid the one living there won’t really take care of them)

 

[nchls school]

Chickens are pretty adaptable and with an acre of fenced in yard they won't be crowded. Consider clipping wings to keep them in.

 

[Mrs. K]

You will need to reduce your numbers, now is good time to really go through your flock. But if you do that, measure what you have available, and calculate the number you can have. Selling laying hens should be pretty easy at this time, that money can be used for repair and fencing.

chickens hate change, but moving to a strange place will help. In a week the will be fine inside the set up, if you do not keep too many.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

You will need to reduce your numbers, now is good time to really go through your flock. But if you do that, measure what you have available, and calculate the number you can have. Selling laying hens should be pretty easy at this time, that money can be used for repair and fencing.

chickens hate change, but moving to a strange place will help. In a week the will be fine inside the set up, if you do not keep too many.

Selling them is not an option. I’ve raised nearly all these birds by hand. I’m more willing to leave the roosters with my lsg’s since most of those are for sale already, but I can’t sell my hens. Without the roosters my flock estimates in mid teens.

 

[Mrs. K]

Neighbor dogs unfenced + free range birds - you probably won't have many left. They are not naturally going to stay there. You stated that the run would only hold 6. I would rather sell mine than let them be terrorized by dogs.

I have raised a lot of chickens, sometimes they do better in someone elses flock and are safe. Try keeping a flock, but the birds in the flock come and go. After you are there a while, and get things situated, perhaps more fencing, more coop. Then get more birds.

You will need to confine them somehow for a few days so they figure out where home is.

Perhaps you have not described what you are moving into well. I do see you mention an acre, but what I saw was a run for 6 head, in bad shape, and neighbors with dogs but no fence.

Mrs K

 

[Oncoming Storm]

Neighbor dogs unfenced + free range birds - you probably won't have many left. They are not naturally going to stay there. You stated that the run would only hold 6. I would rather sell mine than let them be terrorized by dogs.

I have raised a lot of chickens, sometimes they do better in someone elses flock and are safe. Try keeping a flock, but the birds in the flock come and go. After you are there a while, and get things situated, perhaps more fencing, more coop. Then get more birds.

You will need to confine them somehow for a few days so they figure out where home is.

Perhaps you have not described what you are moving into well. I do see you mention an acre, but what I saw was a run for 6 head, in bad shape, and neighbors with dogs but no fence.

Mrs K

I’ll probably end up clipping the wings. We for sure are getting a fence for our dogs(and chickens and goats if our neighbors so permit) I’m hoping our one girl who was raised at this house will kinda know what’s going on. I don’t know how else to describe it though. It’s a small house that sits on an acre with woods behind us that no longer belong to us. The one house without a fence sits a long way back from our house with a few acres of wood behind it. I want to say that’s where the dogs spend most of their time since that’s where all my uncle's dogs played. If anything we’ll scrounge up enough money and tear down the old run and build a new one. The only birds I’m really worried about are our game birds since most of the flock doesn’t go 500 ft from the barn.

 

[aart]

I’ve raised nearly all these birds by hand. I’m more willing to leave the roosters with my lsg’s since most of those are for sale already, but I can’t sell my hens.

If you don't have enough space at the new place, you may not have choice.
A good chicken keeper knows that chicken math includes subtraction.
You have to overcome your emotions with common sense and do what's best for the birds.