Should I shut the hens up?

[Thomzo]

My new ex-bats had settled into their new house quite well and baldy was growing loads of new feathers. Last week they managed to break the door and I didn't get around to fixing it until yesterday. For the last week they have been coming and going as they liked. They are quite safe in a wire cage which seems to be pretty fox proof.

Last night, after fixing the door, I shut them up once they'd gone to bed. I got up this morning, quite early to let them out. Poor baldy had lost most of her new feathers and was covered in blood. There were no feathers in the hen house so I assume that one or both of them pulled them out and ate them.

I assume that this was a stress reaction to being shut up again for the first time in a week. I am happy that they are safe if I don't shut them up but will they be warm enough in the winter?

The door of the hen house faces away from the prevailing wind and I haven't noticed any rain blowing in but I am worried about them if it starts to freeze. They are ex-bats after all so not used to cold weather. On the other hand, Swindon is fairly mild and my garden only gets hit by frost for a few days each year.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Zoe

[red]

our hens are in a large run - and we leave the pop hole open all the time.

I might close it in severe winter weather? but not done so yet.

[Millymollymandy]

I don't think my 'henhouse' i.e. old shack is any warmer in winter than outside, other than inside doesn't have the wind chill factor! As the girls are always snuggled up together on the perch at night they really don't seem to be affected by cold weather.

It does sound like your baldy got picked on by the others though and couldn't escape from them with the door being shut. Am I right in thinking you have new ex batt hens in with your older hens? How have they been getting on together? When I introduced new ones they were picked on for months, but most of the trouble was at night when the newbies wanted to be on the perch with the oldies but got pecked as soon as they jumped up. We didn't have any blood letting though thankfully.

[Ratty]

One of our ex-batts has the same problems. I'm toying with buying her a "chicken saddle" (I know I should make one really but I have no time at the moment!) to help protect her back whilst she recovers/regrows all her back feathers. She had started growing them lovely but same thing - one morning they were all gone & there was specks of blood on her back. Hens wake as soon as the sun is up so they start picking on each other then. We let our girls out as early as possible.

So long as the run is fox-proof then you should be able to leave the pop hole open. We let our girls free-range during the day then have to go find them in their appropriate places (Clarabell - behind the green recycling bin, Chuck - under the tin bath, Bub - next to the water butt) to put them back to bed at night! Only Brownie jumps back in on her own! But as we're going to be away for a few days & I'm sure the neighbours won't be as keen to go round the garden picking up dozing hens we're going to add a door to their run.

[Thomzo]

Thanks guys. My new ex-bats are in their own run, separate from the older girls. As there's only two of them (unfortunately one didn't survive) they don't seem to peck each other the rest of the time. It was only this once. I can lower the door a bit (it lifts up) which will keep the rain and most of the wind out.

I was wondering about a cat flap. Do you think hens could be trained to use one?

Zoe

[Thurston Garden]

Thomzo I can lend you a saddle if you think it will help - I have only used one once (in fact I got the hen with it on!) and do think they help to a degree. Our hen had hers on because an over romantic cockerel was paying one hen too much attention...

If the run is completely fox proof - (I have had a fox eat through a 6ft chicken wire fence), then I guess you could leave the pop hole open. I doubt that it will make much difference to the temp in the house, but hens are not fans of draughts so hopefully the prevailing wind aint blowing in the hole!

It's a difficult one to judge - one thing that is certain though, if the fox did get in, you would be so gutted. It is not a pretty sight!

[Ratty]

We left the pop hole open last night & two girls chose to sleep outside - Clarabell behind the wheely bin & Chuck under the tin bath! I was really worried about them though and got up at 5.30am to check they were ok. They were fine and didn't even feel cold. Today we're going away to Shambala festival and our neighbour is looking after them, I don't expect her to hunt around the garden for sleepy hens so until Monday they will take their chances with sleeping in or outside. We have never ever had foxes in our back garden - we have a 6ft fence on a 2ft concrete block system around the entire garden and we have always had rabbits free-ranging with no fox threats.

[Thomzo]

Unfortunately, I do have a problem with foxes (4 birds lost so far) as my neighbour keeps them as pets. The new run is made from an old security cage from a computer warehouse, so is designed to be armed-robber proof. I just hope that means fox proof too.

Zoe

[Millymollymandy]

Do you mean your neighbour keeps foxes as pets???? They're wild animals!

[Merry]

My allotment neighbour thinks that they`re pets. She hand feeds them with meat she brings from home and strokes them while making yeuky cooing noises at them. "Awww, you`re sooo cute! Come to Mummy!" etc She`s given them icky names too.

[Millymollymandy]

Oh dear!