Torrin Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I only collected my and 4 girls yesterday, so am very new at this! Any suggestions for how to get them to go up into the cube? Last night it got to 9.30 and having shown no interest in the ladder or cube all day, I decided I would have to go in and put them to bed myself! Not very confident at catching and holding them yet, but fortunately I think they were all getting a bit dozy as it was so late so I managed ok. Tonight it is already quite dim and dismal at 7.30pm since it's been overcast all day, and again they show no signs of going up to bed! Don't want to have to go in and catch them every night!! Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ness3103 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 i got mine last week and the first night two of mine made their own way into the eglu but we had to post the last two in through the egg port the second night they all went in but it was quite late and dark. i know alot of people shine a torch into the eglu/cube and the chickens go to investigate the light. (didn't work with mine ) they'll soon get the hang of it. scarlet & tia go to bed at 8 and then skye and ebony go to bed any time between 9 and 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrin Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 Maybe I'm expecting them to go to bed too early. It's like the kids, like them all tucked up so I can relax for the eveing Have just found another post about getting them into the cube at night, several people suggested putting a flowerpot at the bottom. Trouble is I don't think it's that they CAN'T get up, they just don't have the smarts to know they should!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClareH Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 My husband was just off on his nightshift when he found me trying to get the girls in their Eglu on the first night, he crawled in the run and had to go all the way (3m) to push them in the door - he's a pilot and was in full uniform! Since then they've put themselves to bed every night, no problems! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newmarcell Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hi Torrin, When we moved our original hens from our eglu to a cube, they had no idea how to use the ladder. We tried putting a torch inside the cube, but this wasn't successful for us. So, I had to crawl in the run and put them on the bottom rung of the ladder. They then climbed the ladder up to bed, and have since mastered the art of climbing a ladder to bed! Your hens will soon get the hang of it, with a little help Newmarcell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 You could try putting a torch into the cube so that they can see where to go, or my OH physically walks them up if need be as they congregate at the bottom of the ladder wondering what to do...... they will get the hang of it in a day or so. Mine are putting themselves to be about 9.30 at the moment and we close the door before we go to bed.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percydub Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Our girls dont go in until almost dark,(930-945) and then 2 of them sit in the door of the cube until we go out and have to push them in(gently ofcourse)to shut the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrin Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Thanks for the suggestions. Finally they seemed to have worked out the ladder, and in fact go up and down quite daintily. They also seem to see it as the new best thing, a couple of them spend quite a lot of their day sitting on the ladder or climbing up and down it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quickcluck Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 That's great!!! If they are sitting on in alot, do you have perches or other things in your run that they can sit on. Branches are good also wooden shoe racks are great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
