(Well-meaning) human predators in the chicken run, Oh No!

[Spiritsmeadow]

I know exactly what you are going through...and padlocks are the best thing. Also, engaging the kids...like "help me clean the coop, the drinkers, the run" and "do you have any ideas about how to keep the birds safe from raccoons?" I've found getting kids involved in the safe keeping, feeding and tending animals does wonders-it builds their confidence and most important...if they feel they're involved with you and the chickens they'll probably become more protective of them. Set some boundaries..."please come to the door and tell me you'd like to help with the chickens" or something like that, if they feel part of the flock they'll probably never harm them. Educate the kids, let the gather eggs and take them home sometime, make them part of your thing and they'll love it. I hope! Good luck!

 

[jessica66]

I would put up a padlock on cage. I would also print a sign explaining some dos and don'ts and you can even list some foods the chickens like. Often times I find telling kids what they can do is better then telling them what they can't do.

 

[songbird]

I am a parent of 5 kids, all born within a span of 5 1/2 years top to bottom. I also am a neurotic parent of lots of pets (comes with the territory of being a veterinarian.)
I think you did a wonderful job and I think it’s delightful that the kids went to the effort of bringing treats for your chickens. Of course they should not have been trying to bust into your property, but their intentions were good.
I agree with the person who suggested the kids knock on your door so you can go out to the coop with them. If you treat the kids respectfully and like allies in helping to keep the hens safe from predators, they will be glad to help.
I would think that having had you come out there while they were trying to open the door would have startled them enough that they wouldn’t do it again anyway...but you never know. I hope you get a chance to talk with them again.





QUOTE="gtaus, post: 21543707, member: 536250"]Need some suggestions on how to handle young neighborhood kids...

This morning, it was raining outside. Normally, I open the pop door on the coop and let the chickens out into the run fairly early in the morning. But, since it was raining, I was taking my time today knowing the birds have both food and water in the coop. Well, the rain slowed down to a light sprinkling, so I headed out to the garage to get some fresh feed for my 10 ten-week-old pullets.

As I turned the corner of the garage, feed bucket in hand, I saw two young neighborhood boys not only in the chicken run, but trying to open the sliding pop door! OK, not good, but try not to panic.

I live on a lake and in the summer we get lots of visiting people for a short period of time. These boys are only here for a few weeks, they are about 12 years old, and they came bearing a sack of lettuce to feed to the chickens. Since the chickens were still in the coop, they were trying to figure out how to open the pop door to feed the lettuce to the birds. So, truly, their hearts were in the right place. But we all know about unintended consequences....

My chicken run has a dog kennel gate panel and I use that gate to get in/out of the chicken run. The gate latch has a secure locking feature to put on a padlock, or in my case, I just use a carabiner. That locks the gate latch for most predators, but certainly not humans. Likewise, I use a carabiner on the chicken coop access door gate latch. Again, easy for humans to bypass.

The kids were not able to get the sliding pop door open. So I guess that my design was tested under fire in real life. When I made the sliding pop door, I added extra weight to the door inside the coop and the bottom of the sliding door extends down into the framing so you cannot get your fingers under, over, or around the door. The door itself is smooth and slippery, so you can't get any leverage on it to pull it up - I tried with my bare hands and I could not do it. Fortunately, neither could these kids.

So, trying to be very calm and understanding, I wished the boys "Good morning" and asked them if they had come to visit the chickens. They said they had some nice lettuce to feed the chickens but they could not get the door open to feed the birds. So I told them that I was also feeding the birds, and that I had to open the small pop door from inside the coop. So they came out of the chicken run and actually not only shut the gate behind them, but also put the carabiner back on for me. That was good.

I opened the pop door and the birds came out. They started throwing lettuce into the run and the chicks got scared and ran right back into the coop! I explained to the kids that these chicks are not used to having people around as I have been the only one to feed and care for them since they were day-old chicks. But I thanked them for the lettuce and thinking of the birds. I told them that they would be back out later and would eat the lettuce then. They seemed to be OK with that and after a short while they left and went back home.

Afterwards, I was thinking about what I should have/could have said.... For example, even though I was thanking them for thinking of the birds and bringing some nice lettuce for them, I should have also told them that if the chickens are not outside, that I might not be at home and don't want the chickens outside in the run. I should have told them that only I should open the pop door and that others should not try to get into the coop. I just did not think of it at the time.

I don't want to be the grumpy old man yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off my lawn, but I am concerned that a gate would be left open, the chickens get out, and then killed by a dog, eagle, hawk, etc... So I am thinking about putting padlocks on the coop and gate, at least during the summer when the visiting neighbors arrive. These kids will only be here a few weeks, and I really want to encourage them to enjoy my chickens and feel free to visit. My wife and I never had any children, so I am not quite sure on how to best both encourage these children while at the same time stressing to them that there are boundaries which should not be crossed - like going into the chicken run and trying to open the pop door!

Well, if you have read this post thus far, you are probably the type of person who could offer me some suggestions on how to better handle these type of situations with the neighborhood kids. So I open it up to you for some thoughts. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

 

[gtaus]

I just read this thread and had to say that I love how the story ended and had a great laugh at the sign. We are going to use that sign for our place....

A little humor goes a long way. The signs are my way of opening up a conversation to what I really care about, protecting the birds. I was glad to share the happy ending with the BYC. All the comments and responses meant a lot to me and helped me work through this issue. Again, thanks to all.

 

[gtaus]

Whether someone's intent is evil or not, I just don't like anyone messing with my property: animal, machinery, plant, or anything else.

I can understand that. I lived here on this property for 25 years before I had to lock anything. But one summer one of the teenage boys visiting got into my garage and took a few things (for drug money from what I understand). I guess you would say that was evil intent, and I immediately put locks on my garage and shed. It was the end of an age of innocence, so to speak, as once you start locking things up it really changes your attitude. At least it did for me.

I don't really believe anyone would intentionally try to harm my birds, but I could see some young kids opening the gate and letting the birds out which could lead to bad news. So I will be putting on padlocks to protect the birds, at least for the 3 summer months when we have visitors out here.

 

[gtaus]

I would put up a padlock on cage. I would also print a sign explaining some dos and don'ts and you can even list some foods the chickens like. Often times I find telling kids what they can do is better then telling them what they can't do.

I think there is about where I am at. I agree that telling kids what they can do is better than telling them what not to do. The other day, I gave the kids some bread and chicken scratch to feed the birds, which is what I was going to give the birds anyway that evening. I showed them how to sit still and soon the birds came to them. The kids had a great time having the birds eat out of their hands. So it really worked out well for everyone. And I did post some humous signs which conveyed the message not to open the gate, but in a very nice, gentle, humorous way that I think was well received and understood. Thanks.

 

[gtaus]

I am a parent of 5 kids, all born within a span of 5 1/2 years top to bottom.

OK, you had my respect from the start. And yes, I did get a chance to interact with the children one more time before they left and everything worked out great. I think maybe there is a chance for a future crazy chicken lady or two in the bunch. They had a really good time visiting my chicks and feeding them out of their little hands. Good memories for me, and I suspect it is something the kids will remember as they grow up.

 

[gtaus]

I know exactly what you are going through...and padlocks are the best thing. Also, engaging the kids...like "help me clean the coop, the drinkers, the run" and "do you have any ideas about how to keep the birds safe from raccoons?" I've found getting kids involved in the safe keeping, feeding and tending animals does wonders-it builds their confidence and most important...if they feel they're involved with you and the chickens they'll probably become more protective of them. Set some boundaries..."please come to the door and tell me you'd like to help with the chickens" or something like that, if they feel part of the flock they'll probably never harm them. Educate the kids, let the gather eggs and take them home sometime, make them part of your thing and they'll love it. I hope! Good luck!

I agree with everything you said. In my case, these kids were only visiting the lake resort for a long week over the 4th of July. They are leaving tomorrow. My chicks are only 11 weeks old today, but next year they should be laying eggs. Who knows, maybe I'll have a chance to let some kids gather some eggs and take some back to the cabin for their mother. "You get an egg, and you get an egg, and your mother gets another egg....."

 

[Rousha Gauthier]

Need some suggestions on how to handle young neighborhood kids...

This morning, it was raining outside. Normally, I open the pop door on the coop and let the chickens out into the run fairly early in the morning. But, since it was raining, I was taking my time today knowing the birds have both food and water in the coop. Well, the rain slowed down to a light sprinkling, so I headed out to the garage to get some fresh feed for my 10 ten-week-old pullets.

As I turned the corner of the garage, feed bucket in hand, I saw two young neighborhood boys not only in the chicken run, but trying to open the sliding pop door! OK, not good, but try not to panic.

I live on a lake and in the summer we get lots of visiting people for a short period of time. These boys are only here for a few weeks, they are about 12 years old, and they came bearing a sack of lettuce to feed to the chickens. Since the chickens were still in the coop, they were trying to figure out how to open the pop door to feed the lettuce to the birds. So, truly, their hearts were in the right place. But we all know about unintended consequences....

My chicken run has a dog kennel gate panel and I use that gate to get in/out of the chicken run. The gate latch has a secure locking feature to put on a padlock, or in my case, I just use a carabiner. That locks the gate latch for most predators, but certainly not humans. Likewise, I use a carabiner on the chicken coop access door gate latch. Again, easy for humans to bypass.

The kids were not able to get the sliding pop door open. So I guess that my design was tested under fire in real life. When I made the sliding pop door, I added extra weight to the door inside the coop and the bottom of the sliding door extends down into the framing so you cannot get your fingers under, over, or around the door. The door itself is smooth and slippery, so you can't get any leverage on it to pull it up - I tried with my bare hands and I could not do it. Fortunately, neither could these kids.

So, trying to be very calm and understanding, I wished the boys "Good morning" and asked them if they had come to visit the chickens. They said they had some nice lettuce to feed the chickens but they could not get the door open to feed the birds. So I told them that I was also feeding the birds, and that I had to open the small pop door from inside the coop. So they came out of the chicken run and actually not only shut the gate behind them, but also put the carabiner back on for me. That was good.

I opened the pop door and the birds came out. They started throwing lettuce into the run and the chicks got scared and ran right back into the coop! I explained to the kids that these chicks are not used to having people around as I have been the only one to feed and care for them since they were day-old chicks. But I thanked them for the lettuce and thinking of the birds. I told them that they would be back out later and would eat the lettuce then. They seemed to be OK with that and after a short while they left and went back home.

Afterwards, I was thinking about what I should have/could have said.... For example, even though I was thanking them for thinking of the birds and bringing some nice lettuce for them, I should have also told them that if the chickens are not outside, that I might not be at home and don't want the chickens outside in the run. I should have told them that only I should open the pop door and that others should not try to get into the coop. I just did not think of it at the time.

I don't want to be the grumpy old man yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off my lawn, but I am concerned that a gate would be left open, the chickens get out, and then killed by a dog, eagle, hawk, etc... So I am thinking about putting padlocks on the coop and gate, at least during the summer when the visiting neighbors arrive. These kids will only be here a few weeks, and I really want to encourage them to enjoy my chickens and feel free to visit. My wife and I never had any children, so I am not quite sure on how to best both encourage these children while at the same time stressing to them that there are boundaries which should not be crossed - like going into the chicken run and trying to open the pop door!

Well, if you have read this post thus far, you are probably the type of person who could offer me some suggestions on how to better handle these type of situations with the neighborhood kids. So I open it up to you for some thoughts. Thanks in advance.

I think padlocks would be a good idea during these kids visiting times. That being said, when the come back, and I’m sure they will, just let them know from here out, if you aren’t out there with the chickens it would be best if they knock on the door first to make sure it’s okay to feed them and possibly suggest to them to not bother the chickens without you or your wife being present? This is my thoughts.

 

[2much2do]

Need some suggestions on how to handle young neighborhood kids...

This morning, it was raining outside. Normally, I open the pop door on the coop and let the chickens out into the run fairly early in the morning. But, since it was raining, I was taking my time today knowing the birds have both food and water in the coop. Well, the rain slowed down to a light sprinkling, so I headed out to the garage to get some fresh feed for my 10 ten-week-old pullets.

As I turned the corner of the garage, feed bucket in hand, I saw two young neighborhood boys not only in the chicken run, but trying to open the sliding pop door! OK, not good, but try not to panic.

I live on a lake and in the summer we get lots of visiting people for a short period of time. These boys are only here for a few weeks, they are about 12 years old, and they came bearing a sack of lettuce to feed to the chickens. Since the chickens were still in the coop, they were trying to figure out how to open the pop door to feed the lettuce to the birds. So, truly, their hearts were in the right place. But we all know about unintended consequences....

My chicken run has a dog kennel gate panel and I use that gate to get in/out of the chicken run. The gate latch has a secure locking feature to put on a padlock, or in my case, I just use a carabiner. That locks the gate latch for most predators, but certainly not humans. Likewise, I use a carabiner on the chicken coop access door gate latch. Again, easy for humans to bypass.

The kids were not able to get the sliding pop door open. So I guess that my design was tested under fire in real life. When I made the sliding pop door, I added extra weight to the door inside the coop and the bottom of the sliding door extends down into the framing so you cannot get your fingers under, over, or around the door. The door itself is smooth and slippery, so you can't get any leverage on it to pull it up - I tried with my bare hands and I could not do it. Fortunately, neither could these kids.

So, trying to be very calm and understanding, I wished the boys "Good morning" and asked them if they had come to visit the chickens. They said they had some nice lettuce to feed the chickens but they could not get the door open to feed the birds. So I told them that I was also feeding the birds, and that I had to open the small pop door from inside the coop. So they came out of the chicken run and actually not only shut the gate behind them, but also put the carabiner back on for me. That was good.

I opened the pop door and the birds came out. They started throwing lettuce into the run and the chicks got scared and ran right back into the coop! I explained to the kids that these chicks are not used to having people around as I have been the only one to feed and care for them since they were day-old chicks. But I thanked them for the lettuce and thinking of the birds. I told them that they would be back out later and would eat the lettuce then. They seemed to be OK with that and after a short while they left and went back home.

Afterwards, I was thinking about what I should have/could have said.... For example, even though I was thanking them for thinking of the birds and bringing some nice lettuce for them, I should have also told them that if the chickens are not outside, that I might not be at home and don't want the chickens outside in the run. I should have told them that only I should open the pop door and that others should not try to get into the coop. I just did not think of it at the time.

I don't want to be the grumpy old man yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off my lawn, but I am concerned that a gate would be left open, the chickens get out, and then killed by a dog, eagle, hawk, etc... So I am thinking about putting padlocks on the coop and gate, at least during the summer when the visiting neighbors arrive. These kids will only be here a few weeks, and I really want to encourage them to enjoy my chickens and feel free to visit. My wife and I never had any children, so I am not quite sure on how to best both encourage these children while at the same time stressing to them that there are boundaries which should not be crossed - like going into the chicken run and trying to open the pop door!

Well, if you have read this post thus far, you are probably the type of person who could offer me some suggestions on how to better handle these type of situations with the neighborhood kids. So I open it up to you for some thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Have a neighborhood "Children's Day" to go over chicken attributes and fun facts. Close with safety and expectations. It would be fun for you and fun for the kids. You may even get a few interested parents.