My eco solution to rat problems

[Amzie]

Hello everyone, 

I am hoping someone can help, I have 2 pekin bantams and since the weather has turned cold they stay in their omlet house basically all day, and never come out into the run hardly at all.  Is this just due to cold weather,?!  If I encourage them out of the house they will stay out for a bit but then will retreat back in again!  Do they just hate the cold?!

 

I have had hybrid chickens before and they have been more hardy and come out in the cold, but I wanted to see if anyone else's penin bantams do a similar thing please?  If so, any ideas on how I can make them feel more comfortable apart from adding lots of straw to their house to keep warm?

 

Thank you

Amzie

[mullethunter]

Hmm, that’s odd. I have a pekin with 8 other bantams, and have had pekins in the past, and neither them nor any of my other bantams have ever done this. If I remember correctly, even when it’s snowed and is quite dark in there they still come out into the run.

[Alison W]

Hi 

I have 2 Pekin bantams, a Sablepoot & a Barbu D’Uccle and they all came out as usual this morning and yesterday & spent the day outside. They do have access to an unheated greenhouse with bedding over cardboard on top of the concrete floor and about half of their run has a deep layer of Aubiose. They seem to spend as much time on the frozen ground/grass as usual and do like to perch on the back of their wooden garden chair (rescued from a skip) when the sun is on it. I did add more bedding to the egg laying bit of the eglu as they do sleep in that bit at the moment.

How were they before the cold snap & do they have protection from the wind when in the run? Not that it’s been very windy recently but might just be a factor. Otherwise no idea I’m afraid.

[Beantree]

Our bantams just hated the cold weather and did the same; just stayed in the coop. We moved the coop into the greenhouse and covered the floor with leaves for them to scratch in and they were happy there. But on very icy mornings we used to put a heater on in the greenhouse to warm it up before they were let out of the coop. We haven't a greenhouse here. When it was below zero at night they used to be brought into a cage in the house and were taken out when the sun came up.

It isn't necessarily just the cold they don't like. If they are in a draughty location it will make it worse, so if you add some screening around the run it will help.

[Tidy Hen]

Mine have varied. Those in mixed flock more bold in cold weather. My three pekin roos - who are usually into everything chose to spend most of their time in the coop. To be fair, could also be in part down to lock down due to avian flu and they're not free ranging. 

[Luvachicken]

My Pekins come out in the cold although they do seem to be afraid of the snow when we have it.

I wouldn't give them straw as this can harbour mites.

As @Beantree suggests, leaves are an excellent way to keep them entertained, and also making their run less draughty might help.

Give them some nice treats to search for too, this will make them stay out longer,