Single hen

[Groovychook]

So far, so good - ish....

 

Last night went well... introduced all the girls into the cube after it had gone dark and they settled down straight away.

 

Woke up this morning and rushed outside to open the door & after about 10 minutes, they gradually started emerging! Four of them were happily scratching about in the run. I was slightly concerned that they weren't getting to grips with the drinker for about the first hour but after an intensive super glug training session they'd all cottoned on!

 

I would be really thrilled at this point but the two araucana's, who came from a different breeder are resolutely refusing to come out of the cube. I've tried coaxing them out with a few pellets but they aren't playing. I'm worried that they haven't eaten or drunk anything since 8pm last night...

 

Any suggestions? My OH wondered about lifting them out of the cube & putting them in the run with the others but I don't want to unduly stress them...

 

Apart from that, we're loving our new chickeny life!!

[Egluntyne]

I would lift them out.

 

They may not know what is expected of them as all will be different to what they are used to.

 

They will be a bit timid around the others, so maybe a couple more bowls of food around the run might give them a chance to eat.

[tom123]

If I was i would lift them out because they are probably just a bit scared!

 

ye and I agree with Egluntine just pop a few more bowls of food around the run.

 

I hope everything goes OK with your new

 

Tom

[helenmb]

I had the same problem with new girls in my Eglu. Put them into the Eglu first so they would know where home was and I had to lift them out as they wouldn't budge. However, they went in that night and shot out the following morning as if they had always lived there. Hope this is how your girls are tomorrow.

[Groovychook]

Hi,

 

As soon as we went out to lift the Araucana's down from the cube, Hilda decided to hitch a lift down the ladder on Elsie's back . She seems to be quite a bossy chicken and has been holding her own in the run.

That just left poor Phyllis in the cube. We lifted her down & she panicked and leapt onto the side of one of the extra water bowls we'd put in there. She's since moved and is perching on the edge of another water bowl but at least she's had a little bit to drink. She won't be tempted by food though and we've put 3 separate bowls down... I've seen her panting a bit and she's been making a chirrupy/ purring sort of noise .

 

I'm not sure what to do next... don't know whether I'm making things worse by trying to tempt her with food ... She's not being bullied by the other girls, but they aren't giving her a wide berth either.

 

Am I fussing too much?!

[Groovychook]

Breaking News!!

 

Phyllis has been eating!! She's looking much happier, thank goodness!

 

The other girls have taken themselves up to bed but Hilda & Phyllis are having a late night snack ... We'll pop out & lift them up into the cube in a minute- bless.

 

What a day! Can't wait for tomorrow - just hope things will have settled down a bit!

[Hen Watch]

Breaking News!! Phyllis has been eating!! She's looking much happier, thank goodness!

 

Glad to hear they have settled in now. Still all a bit new I expect.

 

If you get stuck add warm water to the pellets to make a grainy sort of mixture (easier to eat if they've been used to mash not pellets) and gets some water in them. Be warned though, they may take to this and turn their beaks up at pellets so carry on with pellets if you can.

[Groovychook]

If you get stuck add warm water to the pellets to make a grainy sort of mixture (easier to eat if they've been used to mash not pellets) and gets some water in them. Be warned though, they may take to this and turn their beaks up at pellets so carry on with pellets if you can.

 

Thanks for the advice, we'll bear that in mind...

 

Phyllis needed a bit of encouragement to eat and drink again this morning. She likes to go & hide under the cube at the back of the run... She's not being bullied, just a bit timid and unsure of her surroundings I think. She seems to be a bit behind all the other girls. We've seen her eating but not drinking - at least not when we're around... She's been preening herself, scratching about and hasn't been panting like yesterday... It's hard trying to interest her in the water as all the other girls come running over as soon as we try to tempt her. We've tried distraction techniques with the others to keep them at a distance but they don't stay distracted for long!

 

OH squeezed into the run (cursing the size of the door!! ) and moved some food and water closer towards her- seems to have done the trick... hope so .

 

Off to go and check on them again...