Well, decided tonight I was gonna let the lot out. Found some chicken wire I forgot I had, 2 feet high, but kinda long, so made a makeshift pen, set up my chair with guiding stick and opened the door. Wayyy better than tv!!! Two got pushed out, as 15 chicks in a 3 foot door just aint happening...they stood there for about two whole minutes before moving, a few more came out, a few more got pushed out, finally, 12 of the 15 were out. We stayed out for an hour and a half! They ate worms, bugs, pincher bugs a lot and yummie grass tips...The did wander around the enclose and a few tested the wire, but the girls especially kept coming back under my chair every so often, and even the guys came over and checked in. Talk about fun!! Ok, now the sun has just hit the horizon, dusk is near, and that is usually the time I close their windows and say goodnight. So got the stick to "herd" them back in..nope, not gonna happen, everyone was having just wayyy too much fun, What to do, what to do. I made the contraption big enough so they could run around, prolly close to an 8' by 8' space, so catching them, nope not that either. They can outrun me hands down! Sooo glad none of my neighbors were home. I decided to go in their coop, and go around the corner where they couldn't see me and cluck to them, like a mamma chicken would do. You all said they would imprint to me as mamma, right? Soooo, here I am clucking away, and I hear chicks outside, remember, they are 5 weeks now, giving that call to mamma loud call..so I cluck back, oh, here comes one through the door, so I cluck some more, to answer their hollering and here comes another one!!! I clucked them ALL in and shut the door!!! I couldn't believe it worked! That was AWESOME!!! They are all in, eating a bit and getting a drink and some are settling down for the night!!! I counted 3 times, yup all 15 are there! We had our first outside adventure, well most of us..only 3 were chicken chickens! and momma clucked them in!
Thanks I truly had NO expectation that it would work, but before I went into panic mode, I thought about it, looked around to see if ANYONE was home or around...nope..so gave it a try. Amazed me that is actually worked!!!! I have watched the mamma chickens call their chicks tons of times, but have never raised a clutch myself, in all these years...figured it couldn't hurt anything more than my ego, if anyone came home, next door. I do have a bit of a sore throat now though...so drinkin some lemonade...clucking is not a very human sound to make...must've sounded enough like a chicken though to get them to come in???! I did cluck a couple times to them when they were in their brooder box, but figured they wouldn't remember, as it was their first week here I did it, to quiet a chick down! I am still amazed that it worked and still giggling that I actually thought of it and tried it too! They came in, one by one. Took about 5-10 minutes to get them all in. Animals are just amazing!!!!
Wow, that's amazing. We've only had our chicks for 11 days, they are about 7/8 weeks old, and was wondering how to bond with them. I've noticed the different calls that they make to one another, but didn't know I might be able to communicate to them in their (sort of) language. I was trying to figure out what forum to post this question to; raising chicks, coops, chicken behavior... wasn't sure, and still not! We have a mobile coop, 10'x6' with a roost and nests in the back 2'. We had planned on keeping them confined in the coop at all times, and moving the coop around frequently. Also hadn't planned on but 5, but "chickens happen" as I told hubby. Here's the situation... We have let the chicks out of the coop/pen the last 3 evenings. First 2 evenings were no problem, as the coop didn't move, they "homed" back to it as it got dark. We moved the coop this evening, (not far, maybe 10 feet or so) after we let them out, and they seemed confused as they got ready for bed. We had herded them around to it a couple of times as they were foraging, right after it was moved. Is there a trick to this, or should we not let them out if we are going to move the coop around? Thanks, Glenda Sorry, shouldn't have posted my question under your thread.
We have Chicken TV moments as well. 28 of them are using this tractor at the moment I let them out all day but soon the Roos will stay and the hens will join the others in the main coop At the front is a standard pop hole into the run shown here soon after I built it with some grown up test Chickens. and a couple of the current residents At the back is an access door for cleaning and unless it is raining hard I leave it open with a piece of galvanised mesh clipped in place instead It is about the size of a 32" TV as well all the Chicks peer out at bed time!
Oh no, no problem posting here, I just don't know how to help you. The only thing I can think of, is that maybe they thought, it being moved, something was wrong...I have found through the years that chickens, when they imprint on something, a person as mamma, food treats, their home/coop, ect that differences confuse them. I can suggest a few things to try? Maybe next time you move their tractor, do it with them in it and see how that goes, if that is possible. Maybe keep them inside for a few days, till the imprint the move, if the other is not doable or doesn't work? I have read on here, that a lot of folks will move their tractors with the chickens in them. I'm so sorry I couldn't be more help, but I have never tried the tractor, so have no experience with it! Best of luck with your project with moving the tractor. Oh, one more thing I have noticed with chicks/chickens, once they learn something, and that can take a bit of time, they don't forget it...It seems to be a part of their world, once it's in their head. How did you manage to get them back in? If you don't mind me asking?
X2 on the tractor! The continuing saga of the Mithious Hen House, Well, debated again on letting them out, it being two nights in a row and not wanting them to think it would be an every day thing until the run is done. Well two of the hens were real hesitant, and both keep looking at the sky. Now 13 had been out for a bit, these were 2 of the three that did not go out last night. One of the 3 got knocked out tonight, by one of the other hens coming out...so only two left in the door of the coop. Eyes to the sky. I heard the wild birds and they were all fine, doing their nightly call the kids home, and happy songs, but I decided I better keep MY eyes to the sky, so kept scanning the sky every so often, but saw nothing. Well, all of a sudden one of the wild birds gave the alert cry, and as I looked up, I saw a chicken hawk, glide into the trees, right over head. I croed like a Rooster and more than half of the chickens ran and flew into the coop, but I still had 5-6 that were running around the doorway, a bit of a jump /fly up, but they can all easily do it, but they were frightened. I had done the "cocka doodle do" in the coop, a few days before letting them out, to see what they would do. They ALL responded, in the coop and stopped dead still. So I KNEW it would work if I needed it, just not how it would work. Well, I ended up throwing about 5 through the door of the coop, they flew in fine, but one just would NOT go in, NOT listen and I could NOT catch her!!! I closed the door. Well that did it, she all of a sudden realized, everyone was in the coop and she was out and ran towards the door hollering her head off, I opened the door, threw her in too, she also flew the rest of the way and I too, went in and shut and locked the door. Phew...that was a close call. Thank God and that wild bird for alerting us to danger, cause I am sure that was the first pass by the hawk, as it was the first alert by the wild bird! That hawk was looking to see if he/she could get a free dinna....not tonight!!! Lord willing, not EVER!!! I will not be letting the lot out tomorrow, as the hawk will watch for patterns. Atleast, all 15 did get out tonight,( counted 3 times again once all were in their coop ) and we did get about an hour! But now I know it is not safe, and the flock learned a valuable lesson also...head for the coop if momma or anyone crows!!!! or the door is shut I filled up their feeder, as I had things ready for that ahead of time, and their water changed before I opened the door for them to come out. Everyone is a bit disappointed, but had fun while it lasted. The lot are eating and drinking and settling down for the night, as it is now getting towards duck! I think I will wait for this week-end and the run now though! Thought for the day. I used to run sled dogs, and the other mushers always said trust your dogs. I say, trust all your animals, as those two girls seemed to know that something, up in the sky, was NOT right LONG before I heard the warning and saw the hawk and maybe listen to our wild birds too, cause they sure did warn us of immediate danger!