Chickens in the garden

[jimred]

i have now had my 3 bantams 24 hours now and all seems well!

I have a coop with a run attached, but want to release the bantams into the garden for a few hours each day.

My question is how do i get them back into the run/coop?, will they go back automatically at night or will they go up the nearest tree!

what about if i want to get them back before dusk?

Or should i leave it a few days for them to familiarize their new surroundings?

Sorry for all the questions

Thanks

jim

[pdblake]

I think you might want to leave them a few more days until they know where their coop is. Once they're happily taking themselves off to bed each night they'll find their own way back.

If you want them back in early I find that a bribe of corn usually makes them come running.

If you're worried about them flying up a tree you could always clip their wings.

[Bramble-Poultry]

Let them settle in to their run and house - they will soon be familiar with it and you.

Once they are used to you and their surroundings you will find it unlikely that they will wander and will put themselves away every night - chickens like the safety of their runs especiallya s it goes dark. Routine seems to work well with chickens adn they quickly get into the swing, mine all put themsleves in their runs ready for the early evening and I go out with the scraps and they are all there in the runs waiting. I only have 1 who refuses to do it and she is the remaining origional exbatt at 7yrs - I think she probably never will, so we just pick her up and pop her back.

Bribary is great - corn, peelings anything as a treat will quickly encourage them back into their house.

You will find that the silkies will not fly much, they are great garden birds but like pdlake says if you are concerned just clip one of their wings

[Polly Fouracre]

My banties would far rather roost in the trees than in their cosy house .I used to collect them up each night and put them in the house, then found they went to roost earlier and earlier so that I missed them!!
They now hide in thick ivy just before dusk and come down again just after dawn. I have had large fowl taken by foxes but never a bantam!

[Flummery]

Our 4 are not bantams but their 'field' (bit of scratching grass) is across a patio from their run. We left them, on advice, for about 2 - 3 weeks before letting them out of the run, so that they would know it was their safe place. Then we bribed them across the patio to the pop-hole in the fencing of their grassy patch. Bribed them back again - they'll kill for grapes! - and after a week or so, they now happily trot across and into the grass with no bother. When we open the pop-hole there, they take themselves back to their run again. Bird brain is a misnomer. They are quick learners and like routine.

[Hashette]

Jim, as everyone else has said, leave them in for a while, until they're laying in the nest boxes and putting themselves to bed at night.

You'll know when it's time to let them out, they'll be marching up and down like a feathery picket line in front of the door of the run squawking their heads off, and if they don't insist you let them out, the neighbours will!

[MrsC]

Hi Jim

Only had my hens for a few weeks now, but left them at least 1 week, exception being 2 new ones I added a week after (left them 2 days) but they were used to putting themselves to bed when I bought them and were older. I have no trouble getting them in, especially if corn is involved ps - I did clip their wings prior to letting them out

[jimred]

thanks to everyone for the advice, Just looked in the nestbox FIRST EGG!!

the whole familys down the coop now.

really exciting

[BUFFS]

The birds will be quick to learn that a metal tin shaken(with corn inside) means something to eat,it took my food hoovers just 3 days to cotton on ,after rattling the tin,give them a small amount of corn and they will follow you anywhere,but keep rattling all the time or they start straying,reward them on completion of each trip.good luck and just enjoy their antics.

[RedThorn]

It's better to ask questions than to make silly mistakes ( I know, I've made a fair few ) First egg too! wow ! Great ain't it! Oh and can we please have pic's!

[MaureenHall]

thanks to everyone for the advice, Just looked in the nestbox FIRST EGG!!

the whole familys down the coop now.

really exciting

Wonderful news! That first egg is the one you'll always remember as the best egg you've ever tasted