My chicken won't stay in his coop

[1Maconheiro]

So my dog caught a female chicken on the beach about a week ago, the first night she stayed in my yard and laid 2 eggs.. cool. So I decided that i would keep her, make her a coop, eat her eggs and use her poop in my compost. I made her a fenced in area about 5x5 square w/ bamboo and a little coop to nest. I've been feeding her my organic scraps, corn and this feed that gives the vitamins to lay healthy eggs. She chills in her area for the whole day with no problems, eating and resting, but during sunset everyday she goes nuts and tries to find a way out of the fenced in area, everyday for a week she has escaped i've had to chase her down and put her back in her fenced in area once the sun does set she goes into her coop and chills for the night, also she hasn't laid eggs since that first day.. what is wrong with this chicken? Is this normal?

 

[fungzyme]

Maybe she's trying to get back to her nest where her other eggs are, or maybe she's trying to go back to her area to find a rooster to mate with. Chickens in the wild usually lay a nest full of eggs, and then stop to sit on them while they incubate. Hard to tell what she was in the middle of when your dog caught her. Chickens do better in groups anyway with the birds they grew up with, so the stress of being caught might have made her stop laying.
IMO, if you want chickens it's best to start with chicks and get 3 or 4 (or more since some will be roosters). That way your yard will be their home and they won't want to go far from it.

 

[idiit]

cool post though! maybe there is nothing wrong with the chicken. it'll be interesting to hear how it plays out. please keep us updated.

 

[JOJO420]

Chickens look for their roosts at dusk. If she is roosting in a tree or bush nearby then she gets all hectic when she cant get to her roost. Make her a roost, about a ft or 2 of the ground. Put her on it at dusk, and stay with her till she settles down for a night or 2. Once they understand where the roost is, no more going crazy every night .

 

[supermanlives]

well how would you like to be caged. lol

 

[Ranger]

make her a roost in the coup and keep her in the coup for at least two weeks without letting her out so she bonds with the coup. it's also normal for chickens who have had some drama to not lay for a little while, but she calm down and lay for ya soon enough.

 

[187020]

Here krippy krippy, time for your bath

 

[lost in a sea]

sounds like its some pain in the arse escaping chicken in the first place,, down on the beach lol

 

[Hempe]

Here krippy krippy, time for your bath

View Image

right!

 

[streetslang]

too bad they ran off chickenman, hed be able to tell you how to make her change her roost probably

 

[1Maconheiro]

Chickens look for their roosts at dusk. If she is roosting in a tree or bush nearby then she gets all hectic when she cant get to her roost. Make her a roost, about a ft or 2 of the ground. Put her on it at dusk, and stay with her till she settles down for a night or 2. Once they understand where the roost is, no more going crazy every night .

That might be it bro, cause when she does escape she goes up into a tree at dusk and her roost is on the ground not above ground maybe that would help if i raised it off the ground.. thanks for the suggestions, i'm going to give it a try...

 

[1Maconheiro]

Also are chickens social animals? I feel kinda bad she is all by herself, should she have a partner...

 

[justpassnthru]

For God Sake, It is a Chicken!!!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/southern-style-chicken-and-dumplings/photo-gallery.aspx

I would get it a friend, anyway. One that will lay brown eggs; brown is better for you. Did you name this chicken yet? jpt

 

[Treetroit City]

You ever get that chicken thing figured out?

 

[lost in a sea]

Also are chickens social animals? I feel kinda bad she is all by herself, should she have a partner...

chickens arent really social,, they are pretty evil to each other and where the term pecking order probably comes from..

cant beat home grown chickens eggs

 

[noyd666]

lol so this is the second chicken story for the day lol hope sweetest does not see it .like that bit were the fried chicken bits were lol.

 

[Photorikki]

make her a roost in the coup and keep her in the coup for at least two weeks without letting her out so she bonds with the coup. it's also normal for chickens who have had some drama to not lay for a little while, but she calm down and lay for ya soon enough.

I've been taking care of three chickens for the past 8 months now. They actually stop laying eggs when they they stop getting 14 hours of light a day. Mine have stopped since its winter here now.

 

[hempyftw]

Hehe..

Hehe..

Meh if you miss the eggs, just get a light!

Fake those chickens out like we do to our weed.

Seriously though, it works.

 

[Puffaluffagus]

lol so this is the second chicken story for the day lol hope sweetest does not see it .like that bit were the fried chicken bits were lol.

I was beginning to wonder if I was the only guy here without a weed chicken.
You can actually have them in the city I'm in.
I wonder if I could get it to wear a little foil hat

 

[teemu shalanie]

wtf is with the chicken threads,...... u should pm SWEET estein have a chicken play date
or a big BBQ
TS