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Thread: Outdoor cage

  1. #1
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    Default Outdoor cage

    Well Ms Henny is 12 weeks now and enjoying her 6’x2’x2’ indoor cage. She’s maybe not a good candidate for release because she literally has no tail and the tip of it has no fur and she’s also missing part of a back toe... so I’ve been taking her out on the deck in a portable cage during the day. I think she really likes it. I wondered about converting our old chicken house to her outdoor cage. There’s a large wooden house with a shingles roof and then a 16’ long 10’ wide 7ft high fenced in “yard”. It’s fully enclosed. How would it be if she could live outside but us still care for her...food, fresh blankets, toys etc like we do now? I think she would like to be outside and have as much room as possible. Pine needles on floor and in chicken house, tree limbs to play on... but what would I do in winter to keep her warm. Should she come back in? Is this a crazy idea to begin with? I just want her to have the very best life possible. She had a terrible traumatic beginning and is such a fighter and the sweetest baby.

  2. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Newbiewnc from:

    RockyPops (05-21-2020)

  3. #2
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    Default Re: Outdoor cage

    Thanks for loving your baby!

    Got any pictures you can share?

    If the tail and toe are the only injuries she has she can probably adapt and do well outside. If not, the building sounds like a great idea.

  4. #3
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    Default Re: Outdoor cage

    I’ll try to send a pic of her. My thinking was that if we let her be in the outside cage she could be happier and then if she’s indicating she wants to be a wild girl we could let her but the chicken house would always be there for her. She’s really done well. It has taken forever for her burns and scars to heal but she’s mostly all furred now and she’s a feisty little girl. We are madly in love with her so it’s not that I want to selfishly keep her...although I wouldn’t be sad if she lived in my yard forever. I’m concerned because she’s only known us and I don’t know how she’d interact with our yard squirrels. I don’t want them to beat her up. Also I do t know about hawks and my neighbors nine cats!!!!! Name:  D234461E-64AA-435F-A4FA-4B9ACE3ADA93.jpg
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Size:  159.0 KB But if she could even be captive outdoors it seems better than inside in a smaller cage. Then like you said if she wants to go for it I’d always be her to support her. My question still is about winter. We live in the mountains and it gets down in the 20s sometimes. Would I bring her in or use a heat lamp somehow or just provide lots of nesting. I’ll try today to also add s pic of the old chicken house/pen so you can see what I’m thinking here. Thank you so much for the advice.

  5. #4
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    Default Re: Outdoor cage

    Here is a pic of the outside old chickie house. Now please know we haven’t had chickens in five years so it’s a mess. I can get it cleaned up nice though and it’s partly covered outside for shade and rain cover and partly open to full sun. The inside of the house is big and roomy tooName:  83B79D5D-68CA-48E8-A562-F0C2D9D12A10.jpg
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    Whoops sorry it’s sideways...I’m terrible at this stuff

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Outdoor cage

    Quote Originally Posted by Newbiewnc View Post
    Here is a pic of the outside old chickie house. Now please know we haven’t had chickens in five years so it’s a mess. I can get it cleaned up nice though and it’s partly covered outside for shade and rain cover and partly open to full sun. The inside of the house is big and roomy tooName:  83B79D5D-68CA-48E8-A562-F0C2D9D12A10.jpg
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    Whoops sorry it’s sideways...I’m terrible at this stuff
    I think it would be a wonderful home with the addition of large tree limbs for climbing. I secure my tree limbs with washers and a screw through the wire. It’s hard to tell, but what size is the wire mesh. It’s not recommended to have anything bigger than 1/2” hardware cloth to prevent raccoon hands from getting through.

    Can you get a picture of the side of Henny’s tail so we can see how long it actually is and if release is a possibility?

    I think you will have to spend a fair amount of time out there with her for her to remain friendly.

    I’m not sure what the best way is to handle winters.....I live in FL.

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Outdoor cage

    Name:  DAFB1AE4-132E-47EF-832E-A5245BFA38A4.jpg
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    So the top pic is about the end of April and the last two were yesterday...yes I let her get two treats out of the bag in the evening...please don’t fuss too much. She eats her hhbs and greens first ☺️She’s spoiled and I have no trouble giving her as much attention as she needs to stay friendly. There’s a walk in door and little doors all over the back that I used to collect eggs so we could put food in that way when I don’t want her digging in my hair...that’s her favorite place but not too good for my hairdo before work
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  8. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Newbiewnc from:

    Mel1959 (05-22-2020)

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