Please help I need some advice !
I have a small flock including a fiesty bantum cross hen who decided she is a free spirit and likes to live out of the pen, she roosts above the pen in a tree at night ! Anyway I missed seeing her at feed time for a few days and thought that the worst had happened and was a bit sad about it. A few days later I was passing an old brick raised bed in the garden when I saw her sat amonst the plants, she was sat on a clutch so I let her be - we dont have a cockrel so I knew it was pointless......... about three weeks ago I walked past her to hear a peep peep and to my amazement she had a chick with her !! I can only think it may be a wild pheasant cross as there are a lot about . Anyway the chick has done really well and appears to be a copy of its mum, white with a few brown front patches. The trouble is both mom and chick are now ready to be out and about and hop out of the raised bed for a good scratch round and here is the problem.... I have three terriers who have learnt never to touch birds in the pen but of course outside is a different matter. I am really worrid the dogs will meet chick and that will be that! I managed to coax mum and chick into the pen with the other hens tonight ,with the idea that they would be safer in the pen. The other hens were ok with the chick and the bantum had a few "words" but that was ok. The problem was the bantum was really upset and would not settle in the pen, just spent all her time clucking and looking for a way out, in the end upsetting the chick. I guess that is because they had lost their " safe " nesting place. I had put a box with sawdust in by the fence in the hopes she might use that as a nest but no such luck. In the end I let them out of the pen again and they both raced for home. So The advice I am asking is do you think I should return the pair to the pen and hope they settle down and find a new nest or do you think the possible threat from the other hens combined with the banty's upset would mean leaving them in the raised bed would be kinder? The chick is about 3.5 weeks now.
I could put more fencing arround the bed but then they would not have much room to scratch about, only about 6 foot by 4 foot?
thanks
mel
I have a small flock including a fiesty bantum cross hen who decided she is a free spirit and likes to live out of the pen, she roosts above the pen in a tree at night ! Anyway I missed seeing her at feed time for a few days and thought that the worst had happened and was a bit sad about it. A few days later I was passing an old brick raised bed in the garden when I saw her sat amonst the plants, she was sat on a clutch so I let her be - we dont have a cockrel so I knew it was pointless......... about three weeks ago I walked past her to hear a peep peep and to my amazement she had a chick with her !! I can only think it may be a wild pheasant cross as there are a lot about . Anyway the chick has done really well and appears to be a copy of its mum, white with a few brown front patches. The trouble is both mom and chick are now ready to be out and about and hop out of the raised bed for a good scratch round and here is the problem.... I have three terriers who have learnt never to touch birds in the pen but of course outside is a different matter. I am really worrid the dogs will meet chick and that will be that! I managed to coax mum and chick into the pen with the other hens tonight ,with the idea that they would be safer in the pen. The other hens were ok with the chick and the bantum had a few "words" but that was ok. The problem was the bantum was really upset and would not settle in the pen, just spent all her time clucking and looking for a way out, in the end upsetting the chick. I guess that is because they had lost their " safe " nesting place. I had put a box with sawdust in by the fence in the hopes she might use that as a nest but no such luck. In the end I let them out of the pen again and they both raced for home. So The advice I am asking is do you think I should return the pair to the pen and hope they settle down and find a new nest or do you think the possible threat from the other hens combined with the banty's upset would mean leaving them in the raised bed would be kinder? The chick is about 3.5 weeks now.
I could put more fencing arround the bed but then they would not have much room to scratch about, only about 6 foot by 4 foot?
thanks
mel
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