Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[PurpleTree]

Do your girls spend much time inside the actual Eglu during the day?

 

We got our 3 Black Rocks yesterday, and they all seem fine. As far as I can tell they've all been eating and drinking. When I was just sat outside watching them, Bubble and Mash had a couple of pecks at Squeak and she went and sat inside. She came out when I opened the little door to see what she was doing, but then quite soon went back in and sat on the nesting box. She's now sat on the roosting bars with her back to the door. Is this normal?

[The Dogmother]

That's totally normal; don't worry. She'll come out when she feels comfortable.

[PurpleTree]

Phew! Thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping I was just worrying about nothing. All I seem to have done is worry about them, including whether their poos are looking normal or not (luckily I found a thread on a different forum with photos of different poos). It's worse than having a new baby, but at least I didn't have to rock them to sleep last night!

[PurpleTree]

When I last looked out Squeak was out in the run after spending some more time sat in the nesting box, but she was still sat down. Do chickens tend to spend much time sitting down? I guess it would get tiring standing up all day.

[PurpleTree]

Just another question. I've got a feeling one of my girl's is sleeping in the nesting box, should I do something to discourage it? Also I've had shredded paper in the nesting box since getting them, but as they are not laying yet do I need anything in there at the moment? If I leave it empty will it discourage the chicken that's sleeping in it?

[daj198]

My chooks aren't laying at the moment and so I thought I'd take the straw out of the nest box to discourage them from sleeping in it and leaving nasty presents. It didn't work, Agnes stil prefers it to sleeping on the roosting bars. Irritating chicken

[moomin]

My chickens both slept in the nest box when they were little, I just left them to it and they soon grew out of it.

 

It's all very new to them, so I would leave it a couple of weeks until they've settled in and if she's still sleeping in the nest box then maybe do something about it then when they are more used to you and their surroundings.

 

I think you can put footballs or flowerpots in there, or try to block it off with something.

 

Relax and enjoy your chooks, you'll love keeping chickens!!

[The Dogmother]

Just pop an upturned flowerpot in the nest box at night.

 

I have found that my small, purple tub trug fits exactly into the hole through to the nesting box on my cube Could've been made for it and it's the same colour as the cube too!