Girls in a 'Huff'!!

[KathJ]

Since Christmas our girls have had free reign in the greenhouse which has been a godsend during the cold winter months. We took a pane of glass out and added a little opening so they could get straight in from their run. However, we've had a few warmish and sunny days this week so we decided it was time they were evicted as I didn't want to get home to 'roast chicken' Oh my word are they annoyed, they keep doing the pacing up and down thing and stand looking at where the opening used to be. It's not like they haven't got plenty of room and things to do but they looked really miffed that this extra space has been taken away from them. We feel so guilty and like really bad chicken parents that we're now going to take away even more of our veggie patch and extend their run even further. I just hope they forgive us and settle down again soon

[Mrs B]

Oh dear brace yourselves as undoubtedly your flock have written to their HenP asking in the strongest terms that their glass house is returned to them.

Have you not yet realised that hens rule the roost?

They have eggsclusive rights to the garden and your presence is barely tolerated.

Good luck with the battle

[Mo]

They are rightly indignant that you think they don't know when they are too hot. Mine go and sit in the shade - they have dug deep graves under the 'field shelter'.
(Actually they dug deep pits everywhere.)

[little brown hen]

I was cleaning our pond filter this afternoon, and two of mine squawked on and on till I gave them mealworms to shut them up! Who ever called them dumb clucks didnt keep chickens!

[sandy]

See how easy they have manipulated you into extending their run

[chicks&cats]

See how easy they have manipulated you into extending their run

They are clever!

[chris123]

we let ours into the garden for the first time other day and they loved it but only went in when they were ready! now if they arent out of the run and in the garden they pace up and down clucking continuously. would this stress put them off laying?

[Mo]

Take peep at them from a window. You might find they behave differently when they don't think you're watching.

[chris123]

would this put them off laying as we had no eggs yesterday or can this just happen sometimes?
sorry,new to all this

[KathJ]

I think Mo's right. Now our girls aren't in the greenhouse I can't see them from the house so I have to go through the side gate and round the corner to their run. If I do this really really quietly when I peep through they're doing their normal chickeny things but if I make the slightest noise and they hear (or see) me they start pacing up and down wanting to come out. It really pulls at my guilt strings so I usually end up letting them out for a while I'm such a sucker

[pepi]

I think ALL hens start pacing up and down at the gate, when they hear their human coming - they KNOW that the guilt-strings can be pulled when the human sees the pitiful state the hens are in locked up in misery

Can you imagine the state my girls are soon going to be in - they are free ranging all their lives on a half acre. I have a walk-in-run about 30ft x 40ft, that is attached to a retired veggie garden about 75ft x 40ft. When I am away from home they are LOCKED UP in this miserably tiny run (i.e. 100ft x 40ft!!) So, because my husband is sick of all the hen-poo on the patio's, Ive agreed that the girls will no longer free-range. They will be LOCKED UP permanently they will MUTINY!!! Why cant they poo in a litter tray - or like horses, poo in one corner or something?!?!?