Why do I feel like I'm mistreating them?

[LeahOregon]

We finally finished our chicken run (aka fenced-in side yard), and now our 4 girls spend all their time there. It's about 200 sq. ft., with their coop and a covered smaller run inside. We're keeping them there now because they were pooping all over our patio, destroying our landscaping, and I'm getting ready to plant my veggie garden.

I feel like they've got a pretty good set-up, so why do I feel so guilty about keeping them in their "yard" instead of letting them free range in ours? I give them lots of treats...grass clippings, veggies, fruits, whole-grain bread, scratch grains, oyster shell, etc., and they can scratch to their hearts delight, but I still feel guilty that they don't have free run of the yard.

Can you help alleviate my guilt? Is there anything I can do for them that will make their yard more interesting? Do I just need to get over it and realize they're only chickens, after all?

 

[Peep_Show]

Repeat after me: "These are my chickens. They are NOT my children."

As chickens, they do not need to be entertained to be happy. IMHO the greatest joy a chicken has is scratching around. Throw them some scratch and realize they've got it better than most backyard pets.....(and some kids)

 

[nsanywhere]

I understand this. There are days when I feel soooooo bad they had to stay in the smaller outdoor pen instead of free-range (I'm busy, its rainy, whatever). But then there are days I open the door, they come running out, and 15 minutes later they are all back in the pen. Even with the door open and the freedom to roam, they sometimes choose to stay in. Other times they come rushing out, jump in the dust bath spot and stay put for hours, lolling around in the dirt and napping in the sun - don't they know they can do that in the pen?! Go eat grass! So now when they have to stay in for the day, I don't feel so bad. It's hard not to put people emotions on our animals!

As long as they have room to move, stuff to dig up, dirt to dust in, and bits to snack on, they will be just fine.

 

[Kittymomma]

Sounds like they have it pretty good. You can hang a cabbage in there with them once in awhile and they'd probably love something to dust bathe in, but honestly you have nothing to feel guilty about. They'll get used to it in a few weeks and stop giving you the stinkeye.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

My chickens love to free range, so I know what you mean. They get crazy when they don't get to come out. But, you don't have to feel guilty about it. They are in a comfortable pen and have thier needs taken care of. No one is hurting them, and they have freedom to move around thier pen and do what they want. Sometimes chickens have to be penned up, and it doesn't hurt them. My breeding chickens have been penned up for the past 2 months. After the season is over they can come out, but for now they have to be seperate.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Because you love them SO MUCH!

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Leah,


My 11 chickens have their henhouse (7 1/2 feet by 13 feet) and their chicken run (abt 400 sq ft). That is ALL they have.


But it is enough space.


Nonetheless, they have eaten every last blade of grass that used to be in that chicken run.


Since I am an avid gardener, I throw the weeds I pull into their run for them to eat and play with. In addition, I put autumn leaves and fresh grass clippings in there for them to scratch around in. Sometimes I grow (or buy, in the off season) ears of fresh corn, shuck it, and give it to the birds to peck at. If I have stale whole wheat bread I will break that up and throw it into their run. And, of course, for their bedtime snack I throw scratch on the floor of their henhouse for them to forage for.


Your birds have enough room, what they need is something to do while confined in their area.


These are a few of the things I do for my chickens, to help them tolerate and even enjoy life in a confined space.

 

[Chick CJ]

Leah, I know just what you mean. I have a very large coop and an even larger run for my girls but on the days when I don't let them out I feel so bad! We are having the same problem you had with the poop everywhere and also with them tearing up the yard. We are going to do the same thing you did. We are going to fence the back part of our yard so they will have a space to roam around in and I think the key is to give them things to do to keep them busy. When I watch my girls doing their thing they are either scratching in the dry leaves out back, digging through the compost heap, poking through the bales of straw, dust bathing, or relaxing in the sun. The area I am fencing off will still have the leaves, the straw and the sun

and we are going to make a new dust bath area for them as well as start another compost pile especially for them. In some ways I think it will be better for them as I can make it a safer place for them. You obviously love your chickens and I am sure if chickens can have any idea of how they'd like to be treated, yours are more than happy with their lives!

CJ

 

[emvickrey]

I know what you mean. I have several different pens and a big coop that is divided. Everyday somebody gets out to free range. The coop, tractor and a pen all have covered runs but they have destroyed all the grass. So I let them out. I know that I'll have to stop once we plant the garden. Last year they destroyed the flower beds and I caught one rolling in a flower pot till he was almost buried in it. I also feel guilty on the days nobody gets out. They also get treats to boot.

 

[rcentner]

I feel the same way, but after our recent fox attack in which I lost 7 chickens, I feel better about it. yes, free range is great, but being fenced is better for me. I would rather have fenced chickens than dead ones. I know, you may not have this problem, but every time I start to feel bad about them being "all cooped up" (lol) I remember the 7 chickens I lost, that I loved dearly. It still hurts and 1 of the hens that lived thru the attack is still scared to be out in the morning and runs in the coop to hide if my roo makes the predator alert noise (he false alarms a lot). Also, my DH decided last year to do some landscaping and they destroyed it! He also complained about the poo on the front porch. So, unfortunatley, fenced in is the way they stay.
We are gonna put together a grass plot to put in the runs. I saw the idea on here somewhere....you take and seed a bunch of grass in a small area under some chicken/rabbit wire and they can eat the grass as it grows, but can't get to the roots to kill it so they always have grass. I also hang apples and stale bread in a suet feeder in the runs, then if they get the urge to peck it can be that and not eachother. I like the red apples and so do they! good luck