Things You Wish You Would Have Known?

[User395221]

I am SOOOOO heartbroken! I raised those babies from a day old! :-(

We have all made mistakes and learnt afterwards.... I'm so sorry. Do you still have the ones you found? Maybe you'll find some others? I do hope so.

lol, I went through this, now we have an auto door opener that doesn't open until 8 o'clock (mine don't seem to be early risers, lol), by then they have done their egg laying.

I don't let them out until "late", most of the morning sometimes. They've got AGES to get their laying done. Mine don't lay first thing. They lay at all hours through the day, obviously. Maybe I need to put curtains on their laying boxes. In their new house, I've put the boxes facing the door so I can see if there are eggs, maybe they feel vulnerable with that arrangement. I don't want to be climbing up there to check the boxes though. sigh.

 

[roosterboots]

We did find 6 of them. A couple of them made their way back into the pen. A few were in the neighbors yard. Then one was in the shop...somehow. They're 5 weeks old and flying about 2 feet off the ground. I just thought they were ready. Actually I think THEY were...I just didn't prepare the pen well enough for them.

 

[BradnerGirl]

I'm kicking myself today! I can't even eat. My chicks were ready to leave the brooder. We took 20 of my babies and put them in the big pen. They were running around so happy! I went to check on them this morning and they were GONE! Just gone! No sign of a struggle. I was so upset. And now that I know HOW this happened, I'm even more upset! My husband found 3 of them running around in the neighbors yard. He put them back in and they just ran right thru the fencing! They looked a lot bigger than their bone structure! I even asked him last night, you sure they can't fit thru the fence holes? He said, no way, they're too big. I said, ok but we need to reinforce this pen for predators soon! I didn't even consider them running away and getting eaten! I was only thinking something might come inside and get them! I am SOOOOO heartbroken! I raised those babies from a day old! :-(

Mine did the same thing the first time I put them outside for the day in a dog exercise pen. I turned around as they were walking right through the bars. I hadn't noticed the outside bars of each panel have a little more space, I was shocked they fit through. If I wasn't there at the time I'd be where you are now. I'm happy to hear a few of your babies have been safely returned home but so sorry for the loss of your others.

 

[User395221]

Maybe carry one around and about. If it chirps, any others hiding might come? At least you haven't lost all of them, that's something. Some more might still be found/come home.

 

[harley587]

We did find 6 of them. A couple of them made their way back into the pen. A few were in the neighbors yard. Then one was in the shop...somehow. They're 5 weeks old and flying about 2 feet off the ground. I just thought they were ready. Actually I think THEY were...I just didn't prepare the pen well enough for them.

I'm so glad to hear that you have found at least 6 of them. Keep us updated if you find more! Also, is your run fully enclosed, tops, sides?

 

[lcertuche]

I'm kicking myself today! I can't even eat. My chicks were ready to leave the brooder. We took 20 of my babies and put them in the big pen. They were running around so happy! I went to check on them this morning and they were GONE! Just gone! No sign of a struggle. I was so upset. And now that I know HOW this happened, I'm even more upset! My husband found 3 of them running around in the neighbors yard. He put them back in and they just ran right thru the fencing! They looked a lot bigger than their bone structure! I even asked him last night, you sure they can't fit thru the fence holes? He said, no way, they're too big. I said, ok but we need to reinforce this pen for predators soon! I didn't even consider them running away and getting eaten! I was only thinking something might come inside and get them! I am SOOOOO heartbroken! I raised those babies from a day old! :-(

The exact same thing happen with us. I put mine out in the big pen/coup when they were 5-weeks old. They went right through the fence. It was the same day my dog decided she could jump over our porch railing to 6-feet below to the ground. The result was 1 dead and 2 injured chicks. I put small wire around the entire bottom of the fence and door and so the next day they learned to fly up and walk through. I ended up putting sticks, plastic, tarps and wove vines through the wire. After about a week I gave up trying to keep them in and let them free-range. We had to chase them around at night to pen them up but they finally figured out to at least stay in until morning. Of course a month later the next bunch of chicks did the same!

 

[savannah4fun]

I'm kicking myself today! I can't even eat. My chicks were ready to leave the brooder. We took 20 of my babies and put them in the big pen. They were running around so happy! I went to check on them this morning and they were GONE! Just gone! No sign of a struggle. I was so upset. And now that I know HOW this happened, I'm even more upset! My husband found 3 of them running around in the neighbors yard. He put them back in and they just ran right thru the fencing! They looked a lot bigger than their bone structure! I even asked him last night, you sure they can't fit thru the fence holes? He said, no way, they're too big. I said, ok but we need to reinforce this pen for predators soon! I didn't even consider them running away and getting eaten! I was only thinking something might come inside and get them! I am SOOOOO heartbroken! I raised those babies from a day old! :-(

I'm so sorry I know how hard that is. Get more and learn. We all make errors but your heart was on the right place.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Thanks, but I really can't take credit for it. It was my dad's idea to put this to use in both my "milking parlor" and in the chicken coop. I just helped put things together and give ideas on how to close the doors and such.

Every time I see those doors I remember the first one I noticed. I wasn't even a year old. But, I remember that door - to the basement on the way to the bathroom - I remember the man who ran the u-pick blueberry place. His blueberry bushes seemed so tall since they were over my head even though I was on his shoulders. Little did anyone know that about 10 years later he would marry my grandmother. Or that while I was in college I would see that dutch door every day since I lived in their house for about a year.

Perhaps that is when my fascination with that type of door began....

I do find the concept a useful one.

What a lovely memory!

 

[Coop de Grass]

I didn't even consider them running away and getting eaten! I was only thinking something might come inside and get them! I am SOOOOO heartbroken! I raised those babies from a day old! :-(

They weren't running away, just exploring. I had some that got through the fence at around 5 weeks old but I was there to corral them. Perhaps you will find them.

 

[Coop de Grass]

We did find 6 of them. A couple of them made their way back into the pen. A few were in the neighbors yard. Then one was in the shop...somehow. They're 5 weeks old and flying about 2 feet off the ground. I just thought they were ready. Actually I think THEY were...I just didn't prepare the pen well enough for them.

So glad that you got 6 back!