i somehow acquired 2 runaways and i have questions. please help

[RUNuts]

You are welcome and Welcome to the joy that is living with chickens!

 

[pollipazzi]

Oh they are just lovely, they look purebred, what color eggs are they laying. I think you're going to do just fine! The pre-fab coops are great in a pinch, you'll want to think long term after you get into it and want to add a few more. That's right, I said it... I started with 5 and now I try so hard to not go over 15, LOL. Check out the Coops Section on here and click on individuals coops to get ideas and inspiration. That area looks great due to protection from wind. I bet if you built a base under to raise it up where they like to roost as high as possible (as you already know,) and if you built a covered run around it, you'd be good to go for quite a while. ENJOY!!

thank you! louise is the black one. do you think she is an australorp? and i think bantam? but i honestly could have just made that up. is it even a thing?
her eggs are tan colored and smaller than the small eggs at the supermarket.

thelma… i don’t know what she is. she has some of the iridescent feathers in her wings. i thought maybe she was a mix because of that but i’m only guessing and have no right even to try to guess. i literally knew nothing about chickens just a couple months ago.
her eggs are even smaller and lighter in color than louise’s. you can definitely tell the difference.

we live in a village and are lucky to have a bigger garden than most of our neighbors but it’s not 15 chickens big!

if they stick around, i’ll build them a deluxe apartment in the sky!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Your guess is a good one. If bantams, maybe Australorp and Dutch. They're really cute.

 

[pollipazzi]

Your guess is a good one. If bantams, maybe Australorp and Dutch. They're really cute.

thank you! i think so too
thank you for all your help, too!

 

[AntiqueB]

I would keep them in the coop/run, and just make sure they go into the coop after dusk. If they don't, they should be fairly easy to pick up and put in there after dark.

I started with a prefab for 3! However, it will need some modifications. If you have predators like raccoons, secure locks or at least a carabiner are a must on ALL entrances: nestboxes, door to the coop, and doors to the run. Predators can dig under, too, so a hardware cloth apron can be attached.

Welcome, and enjoy your new chickens! They clearly already love you!

 

[pollipazzi]

I would keep them in the coop/run, and just make sure they go into the coop after dusk. If they don't, they should be fairly easy to pick up and put in there after dark.

I started with a prefab for 3! However, it will need some modifications. If you have predators like raccoons, secure locks or at least a carabiner are a must on ALL entrances: nestboxes, door to the coop, and doors to the run. Predators can dig under, too, so a hardware cloth apron can be attached.

Welcome, and enjoy your new chickens! They clearly already love you!

thank you very much
we don’t have raccoons where we live. we sometimes have foxes. i have a camera back there so i can see when they are here, but i don’t seem them often anymore. there used to be a barn owl around but i haven’t seen him in a very long time either. i have never seen any other kind of animal except crows and magpies, and they are afraid of the chickens
there is a bit of concrete under the coop. do you think i still need to skirt it? i will definitely skirt the front when we cage it off. i have a carabiner on the nestbox and i got better locks for the doors only i think i need to get smaller ones because there’s not a lot of room on the edges. if i was more prepared i would have built a better coop for sure.

 

[Klutch]

Like someone said, lockem down. Something must be coming around to make that hen go back to the safety of tree, which is not safe. How do you know there are no raccoons in the area?

 

[pollipazzi]

Like someone said, lockem down. Something must be coming around to make that hen go back to the safety of tree, which is not safe. How do you know there are no raccoons in the area?

i live in ireland. there are no raccoons here. i have a camera that alerts if there’s any movement out there, and since they have been in there, there has been nothing going on. i am keeping the coop clean. i’ve only had it a little over a week but i check it every day. i really don’t know what made her go. she was just in the run eating and drinking just minutes before she left. i will get her in there tomorrow. she’ll be back first thing i’m sure.
editing to say… it’s even stranger that she went alone. they are side by side always.

 

[AntiqueB]

It isn't just owls that can scare them. Hawks can take a chicken, too. If they're out and about, make sure they have some kind of cover, like shrubs or even an outdoor table.

I think as long as the coop and run can't be pushed over, you'll be ok for the time being. Eventually, though, you may get things burrowing under, such as mice.

The more you hang out with them, the friendlier they'll be. I have one who'll sit on my lap, and another who likes to sit next to me.

 

[Yardmom]

It is likely just her instincts to roost up high where she had been previously. It shouldn't take too much more locking in the run/coop since one stayed. Sounds like you are doing well with them.