Neighbor's chicken raising chicks under a bush!

knoelle

Chirping
Feb 5, 2021
13
56
69
So, one of my neighbor's chickens decided that my place is a better one for having a nest. I didn't realize this until they were hatched...and I heard peeping. Her nest is fairly weather protected it looks like, and she's been bringing the chicks out to show them how to eat out of the dish I leave for the wild birds. Everything seems to be fine for her; but I'd like to help her if she needs it. Anything to think about or do in anyone's opinion? We are in Western WA and the temperatures do not typically get very cold, but it is still February after all and we could have snow.
 
Let your neighbor know.

At night get a bin to put her and the chicks in and take them back to your neighbor to care for. The cold shouldn't be the problem, it's the possibility of predators.

I've had broodies outside(in a coop) at -30C they were all fine.

Another concern would be food. Likely what you're giving wild birds doesn't have high enough protein which would slow feather growth for the babies, they should have some kind of chick starter to grow their feathers in.
 
Let your neighbor know.

At night get a bin to put her and the chicks in and take them back to your neighbor to care for. The cold shouldn't be the problem, it's the possibility of predators.

I've had broodies outside(in a coop) at -30C they were all fine.

Another concern would be food. Likely what you're giving wild birds doesn't have high enough protein which would slow feather growth for the babies, they should have some kind of chick starter to grow their feathers in.
Thanks for your reply! I should have added that my neighbors are not particularly vigilant in caring for the animals that they have. I’ve woken up in the morning to find their goats under my deck. They have just let whatever chickens they have roam freely without a real coop or anything. I’ve unfortunately witnessed them being attacked by coyotes.
 
Thanks for your reply! I should have added that my neighbors are not particularly vigilant in caring for the animals that they have. I’ve woken up in the morning to find their goats under my deck. They have just let whatever chickens they have roam freely without a real coop or anything. I’ve unfortunately witnessed them being attacked by coyotes.
Np, uhh, you should still contact them, because if you were to take over their care, when they belong to your neighbor, it would be considered stealing, and you could get in trouble.

If you wanted to become a chicken owner, you could talk to them about whether they'd be willing to let you have them, since you've been feeding them for at least a month now.

Take a count of how many babies there are and make a night time coop, minimum square footage is 4sqft per adult bird. They grow fast so build for that.

(Mind you this is assuming you want chickens.)

If you'd really prefer they take their animals off your property, you can tell them about it and ask them to remove them. The broody will just bring them right back if they don't have a pen to lock them in for a few days though.

The easiest time to catch and relocate is at night when they're asleep. Chickens don't move around when they can't see.

Maybe give your neighbor a little time to make a pen. Even a 4x4 - pallet coop would work for a broody until the babies are about 6 weeks if they're let out during the day. (First 3 days at least though they need to be kept locked in, so they'll go back there with food and water and to sleep.)
 
Np, uhh, you should still contact them, because if you were to take over their care, when they belong to your neighbor, it would be considered stealing, and you could get in trouble.

If you wanted to become a chicken owner, you could talk to them about whether they'd be willing to let you have them, since you've been feeding them for at least a month now.

Take a count of how many babies there are and make a night time coop, minimum square footage is 4sqft per adult bird. They grow fast so build for that.

(Mind you this is assuming you want chickens.)

If you'd really prefer they take their animals off your property, you can tell them about it and ask them to remove them. The broody will just bring them right back if they don't have a pen to lock them in for a few days though.

The easiest time to catch and relocate is at night when they're asleep. Chickens don't move around when they can't see.

Maybe give your neighbor a little time to make a pen. Even a 4x4 - pallet coop would work for a broody until the babies are about 6 weeks if they're let out during the day. (First 3 days at least though they need to be kept locked in, so they'll go back there with food and water and to sleep.)
I’ll have to let them know this weekend. I do have just a few hens of my own, and honestly I am not all that interested in keeping these chicks, just wanted to know if I could do anything if they are indeed under my bush for the long haul! My guess is she came to my yard because of the wild bird food to begin with? None of their free range chickens have ever wanted to be here before. Some chicken reason I am not aware of!
 
I’ll have to let them know this weekend. I do have just a few hens of my own, and honestly I am not all that interested in keeping these chicks, just wanted to know if I could do anything if they are indeed under my bush for the long haul! My guess is she came to my yard because of the wild bird food to begin with? None of their free range chickens have ever wanted to be here before. Some chicken reason I am not aware of!
Oh, ok, sounds simple enough.
 
Update...I got the neighbor to come over and get the chicks. It was fairly hard to catch them! And as I suspected she wasn’t aware that one was missing. I hope they will do well.
She did let me know part of the issue is that they didn’t have a coop for them for a long time but now do, so they are used to free roaming.
I am happy they are going home but I am concerned how dramatic it all was, it ended with them carrying the chicks away in a box and the mother hen clucking her head off, way up in a tree. Does anyone know if she will just instinctively follow them?!
This just happened in the last half hour, BTW.
 
Update...I got the neighbor to come over and get the chicks. It was fairly hard to catch them! And as I suspected she wasn’t aware that one was missing. I hope they will do well.
She did let me know part of the issue is that they didn’t have a coop for them for a long time but now do, so they are used to free roaming.
I am happy they are going home but I am concerned how dramatic it all was, it ended with them carrying the chicks away in a box and the mother hen clucking her head off, way up in a tree. Does anyone know if she will just instinctively follow them?!
This just happened in the last half hour, BTW.
She'll probably go find them when she calms down
 
Update...I got the neighbor to come over and get the chicks. It was fairly hard to catch them! And as I suspected she wasn’t aware that one was missing. I hope they will do well.
She did let me know part of the issue is that they didn’t have a coop for them for a long time but now do, so they are used to free roaming.
I am happy they are going home but I am concerned how dramatic it all was, it ended with them carrying the chicks away in a box and the mother hen clucking her head off, way up in a tree. Does anyone know if she will just instinctively follow them?!
This just happened in the last half hour, BTW.
No she won't. She'll go back to where she was nesting.
 

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