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clunky

Want to stay in eglu

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Can anybody help l bought two speckled hens on Sunday when l got them home to free range they went straight into the eglu now everyday since when l let them out of eglu (no run attached yet) they have some pellets and a drink and return to eglu :o and only come out for food and water now today l thought when they come out l will close the door :roll: so they pottered around for a few minutes and found the shed and stayed there all day!(shed door fallen off in wind). When l bought them they were in a big chicken house so wondering if they had ever been out they are 20 weeks old.

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Hi Clunky, welcome to the forum :D . I'm not an expert but it may be that they just need time to adjust to their new surroundings. I know you're supposed to keep new hens confined to their run for the first 5 days so they get the "coming home to roost" instinct and know where "home" is. Perhaps if you have no run, they're finding that tricky :? .

 

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon :) .

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I got my girls in October and they are the same. At first they were fine, but as soon as the dark nights and bad weather crept in they don't want to be outside anymore. :roll:

 

They will come out for food and water and when I put their treat bowl in there is a mad rush down the ladder then a mad rush back up the ladder when they've finished.

 

I'm hoping they will want to venture out more when the weather gets better. They really don't like the wind at all :( Poor girlies.

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Our girls were 20 weeks old when we brought them home and had been living in a large barn with about 30 other hens. For the first 3 days they barely left the Eglu, after that they slowly started to settle down and find there way around. After 8 weeks they are still changing and discovering new things... much like my 2 yr old daughter but with less brains.

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Mine only ever go IN the eglu to lay or to sleep. They are out at all times in all weathers (in their run when not free-ranging)!!!

 

As you don't have a run, I suspect it's a security thing and they will settle down in a few days. Don't worry about it.

 

My other advice would be to keep a close eye out for foxes though, if you haven't got a run for them.

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