rehousing

[HAMISH]

we have benn given a mum 6 teenage 4 hens 2 roosters they come from neighbouring plot they happy to stay around all day we made an outbuilding cosy for them and feed them there mum has laid eggs there too but at night they sometimes sleep in tree in our plot but now dad appeared too and at night leads them back to neighbours plot.
At feed time in outbuilding mum starts creating and wont go in with 6 young but is happy to lay there
I want to keep the mum and young and lock them up at night help please

 

[Chirpy]

Welcome to BYC! We are very glad to have you join us. That's great that you have new chickens.

It's a little hard to understand your post without some periods and sentences.

However, I think what you are saying is that you were given chickens by your neighbor (who is apparently living next door or very close) and that the chickens are going back to that "home" because that's where they came from?

If that is the case then I suggest you lock up the chickens in your hen house/chicken coop for at least a week, maybe two and not let them out for that entire time period. They will then, hopefully, learn that this is their new home and stop going back to the old home.

If the 'dad' Roo is leading them back at night to the neighbors plot then he absolutely needs to be locked up with them at your place (I'm assuming he's one of the Roos given to you?) so he learns where his new home is.

Also - by locking them up and forcing them to use the roosts in your coop they will be safer at night than sleeping outside in trees. In the future you would be wise to always lock them up at night just to protect them from predators.

Good luck.

 

[HAMISH]

Thank you Chirpy the 6 youngsters do stay in the tree if dad doesnt come up for them but this is not ideal as do want to lock them up at night.
The dad is not one of the ones given to us we where given the hen and 6 young which are 4 hens 2 roosters.
they never wander back in day they really are free range they sit on verandah so would it just work to lock them away at night

 

[Chirpy]

If you can get them inside to lock them up at night then I would definitely do it. That may be enough to get them to stay at your house eventually and even start to go into roost in your coop after a while. It will certainly keep them safer than being outside at night.

That Roo may be an issue if he continues to come over to get them. Is there anyway that your neighbor would be willing to lock him up for a short time (like a week) - just to get him to quit thinking about his 'old' flock? I don't know if that would help but I'd give it a try if possible.

 

[HAMISH]

Thank you chirpy

Think I need to lock them away just before the dad comes up for them but he is spending more time here with his wife

So it will be ok to shut the mum in with the young

the outbuilding is where the mum laying her eggs so she has taken to it not really to goin in there last thing for feeding though she prefers feeding on verandah

I will have to try not be as soft with them but they are the first chickens I have had and really bonded to them