This is the first year I have had Speckled Sussex hens. I have found them to be the worst troublemakers and always going the wrong way when the chickens are supposed to move. Yesterday morning as I was getting ready to walk the dogs, I saw two Speckles on the fence. I took their picture and then scared them back into the chicken yard/garden. When I returned from my walk, there were two hens in the back yard. Fortunately, I had the dogs with me so that these fowl delinquents didn't get eaten.
Of course they had NO idea how to get back over. They ran around like, well, like chickens while I tried to corner them. I ended up having to open the garden gate, which (you guessed it) resulted in half a dozen more hens coming into the back yard. After a short session which must have looked like a one-handed goat roping (glad the neighbors can't see my back yard), with me running around trying to herd them and them running in all directions, all hens were finally returned to the correct side of the fence.
The dogs were in the house freaking out, and the rooster was NO help at all.
The instigators of this whole mess were two SS hens, who seem to cause all the trouble around here. They won't go in at night until it's pitch dark, and then when I walk around to close the coop door from the inside, they run back out again, where they dance around taunting me.
"We don't have to go to bed, hahahaha!" I can't reach them, so I just have to wait until they are ready to give up their game.
I have 30 chickens with 8 different breeds, and I have found these to be the worst! (Apologies to you fans of Speckled Sussex)
Here are the bad actors:
Update: No, they're not dead. Yesterday, being concerned about the puppy sticking his nose under the fence toward the hens, and starting to dig there, I tightened up the electric wire, repaired two breaks, and turned it on. The puppy got zapped three times yesterday, and now has high respect for the area near the fence. This morning, sure enough, shortly after I let them out for the day, a speckled hen was in the yard. I put the puppy on leash to keep him from rushing at her, and walked up to her. She ran back and forth along where the gate is, but before I could get to her to open it, her leg touched the hot wire. She squawked, leaped, and flew effortlessly over the fence with at least a foot to spare.
So now I know she can clear six feet and I don't need to bother opening the gate for her. The question is, will she learn, or will it take a few more shocks to realize that the back yard is an unfriendly place?
Adding more height to the fence will be difficult and it would be an eyesore, but adding a hot wire along the top might work. I don't know whether a bird would be shocked though, because of not being grounded. What do you think? Would it hurt wild birds who landed on it?
Of course they had NO idea how to get back over. They ran around like, well, like chickens while I tried to corner them. I ended up having to open the garden gate, which (you guessed it) resulted in half a dozen more hens coming into the back yard. After a short session which must have looked like a one-handed goat roping (glad the neighbors can't see my back yard), with me running around trying to herd them and them running in all directions, all hens were finally returned to the correct side of the fence.
The dogs were in the house freaking out, and the rooster was NO help at all.
The instigators of this whole mess were two SS hens, who seem to cause all the trouble around here. They won't go in at night until it's pitch dark, and then when I walk around to close the coop door from the inside, they run back out again, where they dance around taunting me.
"We don't have to go to bed, hahahaha!" I can't reach them, so I just have to wait until they are ready to give up their game.
I have 30 chickens with 8 different breeds, and I have found these to be the worst! (Apologies to you fans of Speckled Sussex)
Here are the bad actors:
Update: No, they're not dead. Yesterday, being concerned about the puppy sticking his nose under the fence toward the hens, and starting to dig there, I tightened up the electric wire, repaired two breaks, and turned it on. The puppy got zapped three times yesterday, and now has high respect for the area near the fence. This morning, sure enough, shortly after I let them out for the day, a speckled hen was in the yard. I put the puppy on leash to keep him from rushing at her, and walked up to her. She ran back and forth along where the gate is, but before I could get to her to open it, her leg touched the hot wire. She squawked, leaped, and flew effortlessly over the fence with at least a foot to spare.
So now I know she can clear six feet and I don't need to bother opening the gate for her. The question is, will she learn, or will it take a few more shocks to realize that the back yard is an unfriendly place?
Adding more height to the fence will be difficult and it would be an eyesore, but adding a hot wire along the top might work. I don't know whether a bird would be shocked though, because of not being grounded. What do you think? Would it hurt wild birds who landed on it?
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