My Poor Ladies

[MissChessy]

My poor ladies are cooped up for at least 4 months. Got some of my garden planted and will finish planting on Saturday. My ladies aren't too happy with me cooping them up. They only laid 8 eggs for me yesterday when normally I get a dozen a day. I hate to coop them up, but they will eat up my garden.

 

[jjthink]

Do they have an outdoor run or do you mean cooped up inside a building?
JJ

 

[FLchook]

Maybe try some of the green poles and field fencing. Its cheap, and easy to put up a temp fence. Itll keep other critters out too.

Just a thought!

 

[MissChessy]

They have a large run that is outside and a hen haus that is covered and connected to the run. It is just that their run is bare dirt and not lots of grass etc.....

We are doing so much remodeling inside the house and don't have time to put up a fence to keep them out of the garden, besides they fly over the fence we have here. I have such a huge fenced in backyard and they fly over the fence and go over to the neighbors. Just don't understand why they are not satisfied with staying inside the fenced area. LOL!

I still love them to pieces!

 

[airmom1c05]

I know what you mean, MissChessy! I haven't been able to let mine out for only 2 days because of a very large hawk! My pen is covered in oak leaves and pine shavings from the coop. I feed mine a little Romaine lettuce (which I intend to grow in our garden this spring because it is so expensive at the grocery store) each day they can't free range. Brandy actually is the only one who really free ranges anyway. The orps will come out of the pen, but stay really close to the door. Smart birds! The bantams seem to realize it's not very safe for them out of the pen, and until it warmed up, didn't even show much interest in getting out of the coop! All of mine spend much of their day in the shade under the coop. Of course they run out when I go out there looking for a treat!

I'm hoping to make a circular, movable chicken wire pen with no bottom and bird netting over the top so I can let them out of the pen safely and move them to grassy areas when I can be outside watching them. It will need to be something lightweight enough for me to move, and of couse it won't be attached to anything, so it will have to have a gate for me to put the birds inside. If my old ping pong table weren't so heavy, I would wire up the sides and use that because they would have shade that way. My husband is thinking that would be a good use for the table, and we could put a tarp over the top so rain wouldn't ruin it. I am dreaming of something that would provide more space, however. In the mean time, if I let Brandy out I follow her around like a presidential guard! LOL! Best wishes with your chickens and your garden.