Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[kayandrob]

Hi everyone

 

We got our Pekin's on Saturday and some of you may of read about them being timid and staying in the Eglu. They still won't come out, should I be worried? I know they are young (8 weeks) so I don't want to stress them out, but we aren't sure if we should pop them out for a few hours and close the Eglu door, but equally we don't want to scare them, their food is outside but they aren't coming out for that either so we have had to pop some food and water in the Eglu, but then not sure if thats just going to make it worse as they won' need to come out??? We aren't that clued up yet so just wanted to ask some opinions on what to do please, are we just worrying unnecessarily?

 

Thanks K

[Mutrix Farmers]

Are you able to put the food and water outside but so they can see it from inside? This might entice them out. You could try covering the run over with something so they can't see the sky (this really bothered ours for a couple of days when we first got them as they had been barn reared and had never seen the sky before, and even now birds flying overhead spooks them - no-one said chickens were bright!)

[Egluntyne]

Covering the run is a good idea.

 

I'd be inclined to leave the food and water in the run so that they have to venture out.

[kayandrob]

Thanks for the replies, as soon as I open the Eglu door in the morning I take their food and drink out just so they have to venture out but they go to bed so early I worry they will get dehydrated if we don't give them something. We sat out with them for a bit this afternoon with the door of the Eglu closed and they were a bit more adventurous, its funny because as soon as we go out they all run out to the food and eat, its as if they only feel safe when we are there bless them.