Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[mostin]

My two new girls Shirley and Dolly have integrated very smoothly with my existing 2 ladies. Only one problem. Dolly is sleeping outside the eglu, not inside with the other 3. We don't shut the eglu door, but they are protected by the run. She is the only one of the 3 not laying, could this be the reason?

 

She doesn't seem to be getting bullied much, and she gets to eat. Should we make her sleep with the others or leave it to happen naturally? I am worried as she has a bit of a sniffle at the moment. Should she be in with the others and be warmer or am I being a fusspot?

 

All comments and suggestions welcome.

Edited September 22, 2008 by Guest

[Scramble]

I'm really not sure, how long have you had them?

 

On the first night one of mine decided to sleep on top of the grub.

Until I took it inside like I do everynight.

 

We wanted her to go into the eglu as we close the door everynight, and unfortunatly, open it every morning...too early to get up...

 

We shone a torch by the eglu door and she walked towards it and went and settled herself in.

 

I'm sure someone will help you out, I personally would want her in the warm, but I don't know if that's the right thing to do.

 

Good Luck

x

[Egluntyne]

Maybe you could nudge her in with the handle of a broom and close the Eglu door for a few nights to change her habits.

[mostin]

This will be the third night for her with the big girls, We did nudge her in with a broom and shut the door two nights ago, waited 15 mins for them to settle then opened it again. She came out once we'd gone.

 

I think we'll have to try the tactic of keeping door closed all night to change habits, as soon we will have a converter and extension and the broom will no longer reach

 

Thanks for the advice, will let you know how it goes tonight,

[Maccbean]

We've had a similar problem over the past four nights. Our five girls have been sleeping in the cube fine for over 3 weeks with the door closed. However, starting Monday this week, our two legbars have decided to make camp on top of the cube. I wouldn't mind if it was summer, but we're coming up to firework night (10 minutes of fireworks last night at 11:30pm), so I don't want to be worried about them. Each night, I have ushered them off the top and into the cube. We've gone through the same thing each night until tonight, when they went straight into the cube. You just have to break the habit, you know it's less worrying if they're inside the cube.

[mostin]

A bit of cold weather has done the trick

 

All four of them were all cuddled up together in the eglu when I went up after dark tonight. I shut them all in together and they all looked very happy and content.