A stray chicken turned up in my front garden today. It seemed hungry and thirsty as it ate some millets and also drank plenty of water. I called the RSPCA but they didn't sound too keen to help. After an initial 20 minutes questionnaire, they were supposed to call back but didn't.

They initially suggested I catch it and take it to a vet but it kept running off towards the road everytime I tried and anyway all vets were closed since it's bank holiday.

Now the poor animal - possibly a lost battery chicken that wandered off after the storms - seems to have settled for the night near a hedge against the house. I have placed some garden chairs and fleece around it for warmth and protection as there may be some foxes in the area and I really hope it makes it through the night... I have always wanted to keep some hens so this could be an opportunity.

Any advice is welcome.

CherryMoon57 said:

A stray chicken turned up in my front garden today. It seemed hungry and thirsty as it ate some millets and also drank plenty of water. I called the RSPCA but they didn't sound too keen to help. After an initial 20 minutes questionnaire, they were supposed to call back but didn't.

They initially suggested I catch it and take it to a vet but it kept running off towards the road everytime I tried and anyway all vets were closed since it's bank holiday.

Now the poor animal - possibly a lost battery chicken that wandered off after the storms - seems to have settled for the night near a hedge against the house. I have placed some garden chairs and fleece around it for warmth and protection as there may be some foxes in the area and I really hope it makes it through the night... I have always wanted to keep some hens so this could be an opportunity.

Any advice is welcome.

Build a hen house next to your elevated and secure so anothing can get at it, add some water and feed near it to entice to bird to your place. maybe some kind of wire/gating around it so an animal will be discouraged

https://www.wikihow.com/Tame-a-Chicken

maybe coax the bird into your home, if you are secure enough(daytime) leave a door open using food to lure the bird, curiosity might draw it in further and let it walk around

Thanks! I will try to make a secure fenced up area and a chicken coop tomorrow (with some help).

CherryMoon57 said:

Thanks! I will try to make a secure fenced up area and a chicken coop tomorrow (with some help).

Lots of people in my village keep chickens. They are really easy to keep. I'd just say if you keep it, try and get it a friend or two (depending on space). They like company.

So, I've just returned from my dog walk and I saw a man who keeps chickens (inc taking in stray ones). I explained your story to him. He says give it lots of fuss, you want to avoid stress with chickens and so the more love you give it the safer it will feel. He says you can keep one on its own, it's just that people usually find one doesn't give them enough eggs, that's why they get more. He said stress will be the hardest thing to overcome and that might just take time and patience, but you'll be rewarded in the long term. Hope it all goes well for you.

Edit, He also said when you first pick it up it might screech and screech. He said keep hold of it for a short time as they usually calm down quickly, he said that can be alarming if you're not used to handling them. This will stop when it trusts you.

[Edited 8/31/20 23:41pm]

maplenpg said:

So, I've just returned from my dog walk and I saw a man who keeps chickens (inc taking in stray ones). I explained your story to him. He says give it lots of fuss, you want to avoid stress with chickens and so the more love you give it the safer it will feel. He says you can keep one on its own, it's just that people usually find one doesn't give them enough eggs, that's why they get more. He said stress will be the hardest thing to overcome and that might just take time and patience, but you'll be rewarded in the long term. Hope it all goes well for you.

Edit, He also said when you first pick it up it might screech and screech. He said keep hold of it for a short time as they usually calm down quickly, he said that can be alarming if you're not used to handling them. This will stop when it trusts you.

[Edited 8/31/20 23:41pm]

Thank you for this maple. A lot has happened since last night and I am exhausted but I wanted to post an update to let you know how we are getting on with the chicken.

The first good news is that it was still alive this morning. Next, the RSPCA finally called me back and said that we could keep it as long as it is in a secured area. So it is officially ours! We have already given her a name: Poulette (it's French lol).

I still haven't built a coop but a friend of mine who has chickens gave me a small fenced run that will keep her secure until we build something better over the next few days. I added some pieces of corregated roofing that we had laying around, to protect the top and two sides. Tomorrow I am going to increase her space with a big wire fence I bought at Toolstation this afternoon.

Poulette really is an adorable chicken and is already loved like she is a part of the family. Even the cats seem to enjoy having her around (we are keeping an eye on them though). There is also a huge difference in her appearance and behaviour since yesterday and she responds well when we get near her. My friend was able to carry her from her initial refuge at the front of the house to the new run in the back garden without a problem (she has a lot of experience with chickens) and Poulette went straight into the basket my friend provided (filled with woodchips) to sleep after sunset.

Her apetite has been great too. We gave her three meals with sweetcorn (unsalted), a grated apple mixed with oats and she ate everything up. I cannot stress enough how much difference there is already in her appearance. She arrived looking pale and overly thin. Now after only a day, her feathers seem brighter and she has already gained some weight. It must be the Green Giant sweetcorn lol.

In terms of number, we are considering getting another two rescued ones. Not sure where from yet but there are plenty of options around. I will keep you posted and will try to post some pictures. But for now, it's my turn to turn in for the night.

Just don't let the chicken cross the road.

CherryMoon57 said:

maplenpg said:

So, I've just returned from my dog walk and I saw a man who keeps chickens (inc taking in stray ones). I explained your story to him. He says give it lots of fuss, you want to avoid stress with chickens and so the more love you give it the safer it will feel. He says you can keep one on its own, it's just that people usually find one doesn't give them enough eggs, that's why they get more. He said stress will be the hardest thing to overcome and that might just take time and patience, but you'll be rewarded in the long term. Hope it all goes well for you.

Edit, He also said when you first pick it up it might screech and screech. He said keep hold of it for a short time as they usually calm down quickly, he said that can be alarming if you're not used to handling them. This will stop when it trusts you.

[Edited 8/31/20 23:41pm]

Thank you for this maple. A lot has happened since last night and I am exhausted but I wanted to post an update to let you know how we are getting on with the chicken.

The first good news is that it was still alive this morning. Next, the RSPCA finally called me back and said that we could keep it as long as it is in a secured area. So it is officially ours! We have already given her a name: Poulette (it's French lol).

I still haven't built a coop but a friend of mine who has chickens gave me a small fenced run that will keep her secure until we build something better over the next few days. I added some pieces of corregated roofing that we had laying around, to protect the top and two sides. Tomorrow I am going to increase her space with a big wire fence I bought at Toolstation this afternoon.

Poulette really is an adorable chicken and is already loved like she is a part of the family. Even the cats seem to enjoy having her around (we are keeping an eye on them though). There is also a huge difference in her appearance and behaviour since yesterday and she responds well when we get near her. My friend was able to carry her from her initial refuge at the front of the house to the new run in the back garden without a problem (she has a lot of experience with chickens) and Poulette went straight into the basket my friend provided (filled with woodchips) to sleep after sunset.

Her apetite has been great too. We gave her three meals with sweetcorn (unsalted), a grated apple mixed with oats and she ate everything up. I cannot stress enough how much difference there is already in her appearance. She arrived looking pale and overly thin. Now after only a day, her feathers seem brighter and she has already gained some weight. It must be the Green Giant sweetcorn lol.

In terms of number, we are considering getting another two rescued ones. Not sure where from yet but there are plenty of options around. I will keep you posted and will try to post some pictures. But for now, it's my turn to turn in for the night.

CherryMoon57 said:

maplenpg said:

So, I've just returned from my dog walk and I saw a man who keeps chickens (inc taking in stray ones). I explained your story to him. He says give it lots of fuss, you want to avoid stress with chickens and so the more love you give it the safer it will feel. He says you can keep one on its own, it's just that people usually find one doesn't give them enough eggs, that's why they get more. He said stress will be the hardest thing to overcome and that might just take time and patience, but you'll be rewarded in the long term. Hope it all goes well for you.

Edit, He also said when you first pick it up it might screech and screech. He said keep hold of it for a short time as they usually calm down quickly, he said that can be alarming if you're not used to handling them. This will stop when it trusts you.

[Edited 8/31/20 23:41pm]

Thank you for this maple. A lot has happened since last night and I am exhausted but I wanted to post an update to let you know how we are getting on with the chicken.

The first good news is that it was still alive this morning. Next, the RSPCA finally called me back and said that we could keep it as long as it is in a secured area. So it is officially ours! We have already given her a name: Poulette (it's French lol).

I still haven't built a coop but a friend of mine who has chickens gave me a small fenced run that will keep her secure until we build something better over the next few days. I added some pieces of corregated roofing that we had laying around, to protect the top and two sides. Tomorrow I am going to increase her space with a big wire fence I bought at Toolstation this afternoon.

Poulette really is an adorable chicken and is already loved like she is a part of the family. Even the cats seem to enjoy having her around (we are keeping an eye on them though). There is also a huge difference in her appearance and behaviour since yesterday and she responds well when we get near her. My friend was able to carry her from her initial refuge at the front of the house to the new run in the back garden without a problem (she has a lot of experience with chickens) and Poulette went straight into the basket my friend provided (filled with woodchips) to sleep after sunset.

Her apetite has been great too. We gave her three meals with sweetcorn (unsalted), a grated apple mixed with oats and she ate everything up. I cannot stress enough how much difference there is already in her appearance. She arrived looking pale and overly thin. Now after only a day, her feathers seem brighter and she has already gained some weight. It must be the Green Giant sweetcorn lol.

In terms of number, we are considering getting another two rescued ones. Not sure where from yet but there are plenty of options around. I will keep you posted and will try to post some pictures. But for now, it's my turn to turn in for the night.

Great news. Sounds like Poulette is going to be spoilt rotten for the rest of its life. Credit to you for stepping up when an animal needed you

You can always give it food and water. Where I live there are stray chickens everywhere, even at the airport

Pictures of Poulette please.

Stay away from this chicken

CherryMoon57 said:

maplenpg said:

So, I've just returned from my dog walk and I saw a man who keeps chickens (inc taking in stray ones). I explained your story to him. He says give it lots of fuss, you want to avoid stress with chickens and so the more love you give it the safer it will feel. He says you can keep one on its own, it's just that people usually find one doesn't give them enough eggs, that's why they get more. He said stress will be the hardest thing to overcome and that might just take time and patience, but you'll be rewarded in the long term. Hope it all goes well for you.

Edit, He also said when you first pick it up it might screech and screech. He said keep hold of it for a short time as they usually calm down quickly, he said that can be alarming if you're not used to handling them. This will stop when it trusts you.

[Edited 8/31/20 23:41pm]

Thank you for this maple. A lot has happened since last night and I am exhausted but I wanted to post an update to let you know how we are getting on with the chicken.

The first good news is that it was still alive this morning. Next, the RSPCA finally called me back and said that we could keep it as long as it is in a secured area. So it is officially ours! We have already given her a name: Poulette (it's French lol).

I still haven't built a coop but a friend of mine who has chickens gave me a small fenced run that will keep her secure until we build something better over the next few days. I added some pieces of corregated roofing that we had laying around, to protect the top and two sides. Tomorrow I am going to increase her space with a big wire fence I bought at Toolstation this afternoon.

Poulette really is an adorable chicken and is already loved like she is a part of the family. Even the cats seem to enjoy having her around (we are keeping an eye on them though). There is also a huge difference in her appearance and behaviour since yesterday and she responds well when we get near her. My friend was able to carry her from her initial refuge at the front of the house to the new run in the back garden without a problem (she has a lot of experience with chickens) and Poulette went straight into the basket my friend provided (filled with woodchips) to sleep after sunset.

Her apetite has been great too. We gave her three meals with sweetcorn (unsalted), a grated apple mixed with oats and she ate everything up. I cannot stress enough how much difference there is already in her appearance. She arrived looking pale and overly thin. Now after only a day, her feathers seem brighter and she has already gained some weight. It must be the Green Giant sweetcorn lol.

In terms of number, we are considering getting another two rescued ones. Not sure where from yet but there are plenty of options around. I will keep you posted and will try to post some pictures. But for now, it's my turn to turn in for the night.

Oh wow that's good news

kpowers said:

Stay away from this chicken

https://info.mannapro.com...iYC_PR8lQI

PennyPurple said:

Just don't let the chicken cross the road.

She is in the back garden now so she's safe! She initially came in from the road though. I am so glad she found us before anything happens.

maplenpg said:

CherryMoon57 said:

Thank you for this maple. A lot has happened since last night and I am exhausted but I wanted to post an update to let you know how we are getting on with the chicken.

The first good news is that it was still alive this morning. Next, the RSPCA finally called me back and said that we could keep it as long as it is in a secured area. So it is officially ours! We have already given her a name: Poulette (it's French lol).

I still haven't built a coop but a friend of mine who has chickens gave me a small fenced run that will keep her secure until we build something better over the next few days. I added some pieces of corregated roofing that we had laying around, to protect the top and two sides. Tomorrow I am going to increase her space with a big wire fence I bought at Toolstation this afternoon.

Poulette really is an adorable chicken and is already loved like she is a part of the family. Even the cats seem to enjoy having her around (we are keeping an eye on them though). There is also a huge difference in her appearance and behaviour since yesterday and she responds well when we get near her. My friend was able to carry her from her initial refuge at the front of the house to the new run in the back garden without a problem (she has a lot of experience with chickens) and Poulette went straight into the basket my friend provided (filled with woodchips) to sleep after sunset.

Her apetite has been great too. We gave her three meals with sweetcorn (unsalted), a grated apple mixed with oats and she ate everything up. I cannot stress enough how much difference there is already in her appearance. She arrived looking pale and overly thin. Now after only a day, her feathers seem brighter and she has already gained some weight. It must be the Green Giant sweetcorn lol.

In terms of number, we are considering getting another two rescued ones. Not sure where from yet but there are plenty of options around. I will keep you posted and will try to post some pictures. But for now, it's my turn to turn in for the night.

Great news. Sounds like Poulette is going to be spoilt rotten for the rest of its life. Credit to you for stepping up when an animal needed you

LOL she definitely is! I got her some more appropriate food yesterday at the local animal feed shop. A bag of this (see below) and another of a 'Super Mixed Corn' which has added grit and oyster shell. I was surprised how cheap it is compared to cat food... Another thing I've learnt is that you're not supposed to give them too much corn.

[Edited 9/3/20 16:46pm]

kpowers said:

Pictures of Poulette please.

I took some photos but I haven't figured out how to post it on here from my camera.

OldFriends4Sale said:

https://info.mannapro.com...iYC_PR8lQI

Chicken coop ideas and expert advice on raising chickens | Manna Pro

Posted by Kathy Sproules / Tue, Feb 11, 2020 @ 9:41 AM

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So you want to have a flock of chickens in your back yard. They will need a place to live. That opens up an entire world of options. Do you build a custom coop or do you buy a premade? What size do you need? What about nesting boxes, ventilation, insulation, location? Yes, there are a lot of possibilities.

First of all you should know how many chickens you intend to keep. We started with 8 and now have 11. Chickens need minimum of 2 square feet of space in the hen house and 4 square feet of space in the run. The henhouse is the enclosed “house” where your chickens will nest and roost at night as well as be protected from weather. The run is their protected outdoor space.

You can find some premade coops at your local farm store and even online. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. If you only want a couple of chickens in your urban backyard then that might be the best option. However, pay attention to what type of chickens the premade coops are for. For example, some premade coops are more suitable for smaller, bantam breeds and will not be comfortable for a large breed such as a Plymouth Barred Rock.

We live out in the country and tend to overdue everything so we decided to build our own. (I should say that I decided that my husband would build me what I wanted.) We overdue most things that involve our precious animals. I did not want any critter burrowing under the wall of the coop and harming my girls so I had a foundation poured for the henhouse and a foot wide around the run. Let’s just say it is thicker that the barn floor that has to support our tractor.

It was important to me to be able to stand up in the coop to do my chores of feeding, watering, cleaning and collecting eggs. We have a full size walk-through door and installed 2 windows as well for light and ventilation. We bought the door and windows at our local building supply store.

The walls were premade in our big barn and hauled out to the location of the coop with the tractor. Lesson learned. Just build them at the site. You shouldn’t worry about severe injury while building a coop! We made it without incident, but I was more than a little nervous during the transfer.

We secured the walls to the concrete floor with some impressive bolts. This coop isn’t going anywhere! We also put up the frame for the run which was much less scary. We stapled chicken wire on the frame of the run and then put trim pieces over the top to make it even more secure and of course, look pretty! My husband made a door for the end of the run with scraps of wood and chicken wire.

Then came the insulation. We have R13 in the walls and then covered that with plywood and painted (of course!). We put our own homemade trusses up and covered the roof with metal roofing with the help of a gracious neighbor. In the winter we put some hard foam board insulation in the ceiling to keep the heat in. I do use a well secured heat lamp up high in the henhouse in the very cold winter months here in the Midwest.

I purchased premade nesting boxes from our local farm store that is metal with 2 rows of 3 nesting boxes and roosts attached on the front that can fold up. This nesting box was very easy to hang and has worked very well for us. You do not need a nesting box for each hen, six is more than enough for our 11. We made a roost with a 2x4 that runs the width of the coop. At first the girls didn’t use it and just used the roosts on the front of the nesting boxes. Now they spread out a little more and use all of them.

Our henhouse is 8x8 and our run is 8x12. That is more than enough space for our 11 chickens. In the run I use coarse sand for the base and am delighted with it. After about 2 years I scoop it out and put in the compost pile and add new. It has been a wonder base as far as I am concerned. In the coop I use Manna Pro Fresh Flakes bedding. The concrete floor in the coop makes it easy to clean. I use the used shavings to cover the aisles in my garden. We try to waste nothing around here.

I found a cute small mailbox at a thrift store that is by the girls “front door” where I keep a few tools like a whisk broom and a pair of scissors. I have plans to add a window box for plants to add to their “curb appeal” at some point.

The only thing I might have done differently would be to put the coop closer to the house. In the winter when the hoses are put away I carry water to the coop. That gets a little old on those really cold and windy days.

My best advice is to just have fun with it! Do what you want. Make it your own. Chickens are a very entertaining addition to your family. We laugh at ours every day. They really do have personalities and deserve a safe home to live in. After all they provide us with not only food but a lot of laughs.

Best wishes for a happy flock,

Kathy

Wow that's some chicken house! My daughter has designed the future run and coop and we have already bought the wood and wire mesh. We are going to use a portion of the vegetable garden which has some paved paths on which the bottom frame will be rested on. That way the foxes will not be able to dig into the run. It's going to be quite big but well worth doing ourselves since prices for ready-made ones are a bit extreme for the kind of size we want. We are also going to make sure it is well insulated so that the hens (since we are getting at least another 2 as soon as this is finished) won't suffer from cold moisture (coryza) in the Winter or the heat in the Summer.

There are lots of tutorials online and so far this is my favourite (see below). I particularly like the idea of having a rain water collecting system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPMjIJFpq7E




https://www.paskmakes.com/

Good luck on building your first coop! My Mom's parents' chicken coop looked more like this...

First heat up some vegetable oil and get some fresh flour, Adobo seasoning, garlic, and pepper and a little salt...

RJOrion said:

First heat up some vegetable oil and get some fresh flour, Adobo seasoning, garlic, and pepper and a little salt...

Is this Pennypurple?

[Edited 10/28/20 1:12am]

what, you dont like pepper on your fried chicken?

purplethunder3121 said:

RJOrion said:

First heat up some vegetable oil and get some fresh flour, Adobo seasoning, garlic, and pepper and a little salt...

OMG. hahahaha!!!

kpowers said:

Is this Pennypurple?

purplethunder3121 said:

Good luck on building your first coop! My Mom's parents' chicken coop looked more like this...

Thanks for the encouragement! Thankfully I am going to get some help in building it because if it was just me I would atually feel very proud if it did end up looking half as good as this adorable rabbit hut

PennyPurple said:

OMG. hahahaha!!!

kpowers said:

Is this Pennypurple?

For the record I was talking about the lady in the picture, not the chicken

RJOrion said:

First heat up some vegetable oil and get some fresh flour, Adobo seasoning, garlic, and pepper and a little salt...

... add some eggs, take out the flour and it will make a nice omelette!

maplenpg said:

So, I've just returned from my dog walk and I saw a man who keeps chickens (inc taking in stray ones). I explained your story to him. He says give it lots of fuss, you want to avoid stress with chickens and so the more love you give it the safer it will feel. He says you can keep one on its own, it's just that people usually find one doesn't give them enough eggs, that's why they get more. He said stress will be the hardest thing to overcome and that might just take time and patience, but you'll be rewarded in the long term. Hope it all goes well for you.

Edit, He also said when you first pick it up it might screech and screech. He said keep hold of it for a short time as they usually calm down quickly, he said that can be alarming if you're not used to handling them. This will stop when it trusts you.

[Edited 8/31/20 23:41pm]

I picked Poulette up yesterday! It felt a bit strange for me and probably for her too. First she tried to fly off but then calmed down almost immediately and now comes towards me when I approach or call out her name. What a contrast with the first day when she was running in the opposite direction as soon as we walked towards her. The other thing she does is look out for us when we're in the garden as if she is waiting. When I drink my morning coffee, sitting next to her pen, she will just bob around happily. It looks like she needs some hen friends to keep her company.