Solitary chicken - need advice

[BeckyBoo]

Hi, I know I keep asking but as it is now going to be in the minuses tonight do you think I should forcibly stuff my two cockerels inside the cube?

I've shut the cube door (as is my want) but the wretched boys STILL refuse to take themselves to bed and insist on roosting outside. To be honest I got so fed up of trekking down there every night back and forth putting them in that I gave up and let them roost outside. But now it's REALLY cold and going to get colder. Will they be OK? Am I being a wuss? Would you put them in?

 

Mrs B

[jackiepoppies]

Hi Mrs B,

 

I realy don't know the answer to this BUT where we live it can get very cold.

 

One of my neighbours, (must be at least 70) has always kept her chooks and cockerels in open sided pens at night. What I mean by this is imagine an orange box, turned on its side with a s"Ooops, word censored!" of wire over the front

 

This is a farming community where I don't think things have changed in a awful long time

 

You can imagine the fascination the locals have had with my lilac cube

 

Soooo......in answer to your ....If Monsieur Reynard can't get them, I don't think they'll come to any harm with the cold.

 

Jackiex

[Louisdog]

I'd feel happier if they were inside but I guess they are probably ok outside, after all wild birds have to roost outside even when it's cold. Maybe you can make sure they get plenty of corn last thing to keep them warm. Sounds like they have made up their mind they are going to sleep outside anyway.

[Olly]

Surely if they felt cold, they'd go in the Cube?

 

I never close the Cube door; everything I read says that chickens actually cope with cold better than heat, and don't mind cold weather.

[chickenanne]

I close the pop-hole on my house, because whilst cold won't do them any harm, I know that they can't stand drafts.

I guess it depends a lot on the layout of the house and how windy it is where you are though - with us, it's very, very windy (and for once I don't mean the OH)!

Assuming there's no obvious reason why they don't like usign the house - mites, fleas, ammonia, damp, not enough head-height, erm, can't think of much else but you get the idea.... then I wouldn't worry about them choosing to stay outside!

[Louisdog]

Ditto, I close my door because of drafts and also to try and foil the fox.

 

But as long as they have the sense to keep out of fox's way, they should be fine.

[helenmb]

I think if they are cold they will find their way inside, because they come with their own integral 'duvet' they don't feel the cold the same was as us humans so don't worry too much. As long as they are dry and have the option at dusk I am sure they will take the opportunity if they are chilly enough.

[MadMitch]

Teagan my Welsummer will not go in either the cube or the eglu, at first I thought that she was just been kept out by the others so I spent a week watching her. She spends the last 5 mins of light running round chasing flies then she runs up the ramp, jumps on top of the cube and sits down. I have picked her up several times and put her inside but within 5 mins she is back on top of the cube. I've now given up and just leave her.