Solitary chicken - need advice

[AliA]

Hello,

 

Can anyone offer advice. Today I put my two new bantams together in the eglu cube with their sisters. At dusk they all took themselves up the ladder to bed except for one of the new girls. She could not work out how to get up to the house, so I picked her up and put her in myself. She promptly flew out and is now sitting on a log that I keep in the run area of the cube.

 

It is very dark now and very cold and I am worried she will die.

 

What should I do?.

Shall I leave her tonight and hope that she follows the other girls tomorrow?.

 

Thanks

 

Alia

[bronze]

I have two that sleep out pretty much all year round. She would be fine. If you're really worried go out again when shes sleepy and move her

[Crooked Chicken]

It's pitch black out there now, so she must be tired. I'd go out there, put her in the Eglu Cube and close the door quick! It's quite chilly here tonight, so I think she should be shut in out of the cold. Good luck, but most of all, don't worry. I think maybe she's not use to the cube steps, so you may have to do this for a few nights until she gets the hang of it.

[Patricia W]

I've given up trying to get my three bantams in the run, unless I'm there with treats and able to shut the door behind them.

 

Their preference is to roost up high so I continuously find them on top of the compost bin as soon as dusk threatens and I swear they would stay there all night by choice. I 've even tried letting them stay there hoping they'd get fed up and go back to the Eglu. But I gave in first!

 

So I either lift them down one by one and put them away or get the treats out- then they'll come if its not too dark.

 

My neighbours Buff Orpingtons just put themselves to bed. I wonder if its a breed thing?

 

Tricia

[Plum]

Hi,

Why not shut the door then post her through the egg hatch. That way she can't fly out and after a few days she may go in by choice.

[cordelia]

Have to agree with Plum, stick her through the egg hatch door, with the other door closed...I;ve done that several times with my girls and my eglu..

 

to get her to learn how to go to bed herself, stick a torch in the cube just before dusk...and she'll be attracted back..

[Patricia W]

I've tried everything under the sun but unless I tempt them in with treats and close the run door on them, they will stay out on top of the compost bin all night if I let them. They just seem to have an instinct to roost off the ground. Once in the eglu run, they constantly look above and only go into the eglu as it gets dark. Once in, they are fine and I lock them up for the night.

 

I'm getting a second eglu in a week or two and will try raising that one off the ground to see if that helps. If it does, I'll make it a more permanent arrangements. Somehow..

 

Tricia

[mostin]

Did any of it work AliA?