New chickens are tring to get in to the pen!

[marans123]

Hi all, I'm new to this site. I hope this is the right place to post.

I've owned chickens for a couple of years now (mostly marans Black and copper) and today I bought 3 new ones. I'll give you an idea of the set up. We have a 2500m2 garden and the chickens are allowed to roam around at will all the time. We also have 3 bantams in a pen, bringing up marans chicks.

I let the chickens out of their boxes when I brought them home and 2 were fine and obviously loving it (Othello the roo did his business immediately!) But one of them was desperate to get into the pen with the bantams and chicks. I stayed with them for a bit and rounded this new chicken to the others and she seemed ok. When I came out into the garden about 1 hour later, she had managed to peck through 2 layers of netting and was in with them. The chicks (nearly 5 weeks old) weren't harmed, but the bantams were pretty perturbed - making lots of noise. I got her out and put her with the others and since, she's stayed there.

I assume she did this because she has always been kept in pens and not used to open spaces? I'll have to keep a very close eye on her!

Grateful for any opinions.

 

[Ilovemyladies!]

First off,

Is she trying to sit on a nest and hatch out eggs? If so, she could just be broody.


-Shannon

 

[marans123]

Thanks! I don't think she is broody. She's not making the right noises for that.... When she was in the pen she was just walking around feeding.

 

[Ilovemyladies!]

Maybe you're right. I think she's just used to pens. If thats the reason she should grow out of it.



-Shannon

 

[marans123]

Fortunately she seems much better today. She hasn't tried to get in the pen again. I think she might have worked out she is now a free range chicken! Of course I had fun last night catching the 3 newbies to get them into their house!! Hoping tonight they'll get the picture.....

 

[Ilovemyladies!]

It always takes them a couple of days to get used to where the coop is

Just a tip~ When you get new chickens leave them and the remaining chickens in the coop for a day so they know this is "home"~

-Shannon

 

[marans123]

One of the newbies is so thick! She wouldn't come out of the house yesterday morning and last night she wouldn't go in. Thanks for the tip, it seems so obvious, but never really had this trouble before. They're all happy now clucking and pecking around. I suspect tonight will be much easier. I do love watching them. My dogs quite like them too (Bernese mountain dogs). One of them loves going to see the newborn chicks. she just sits and watches while I clean, feed and water them.

 

[Ilovemyladies!]

Welcome and thats's so cute! Sometimes when I have new hens they have no idea were to go at night even when they've been to the coop already!

-Shannon