Harriet88 Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Our first hen house is a 4-5 bird house which we used first off. We decided to get more chickens so I built a very sturdy, large hen house that would fit around 15 hens... But instead of using that house the hens insist on all cramming into the 4-5 house (all 13 of them!!!). For the first few nights I moved some of the hens across into the big house thinking they would get the idea that that is their sleep place, but they didn't. I tried another tactic, closing the small house so they would go into the big house, but they still didn't, they all hid UNDER the small house instead and had to spend the good part of an hour trying to get them out! Any ideas how I can persuade them to sleep in the big house? I don't like the idea of them being squashed up like battery hens but it seems they do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Whose says chickens don't have brains . They certainly know what they like . I know others have had similar problems when they have more than one eglu or cube. It doesn't seem like you can do much about it . I'm assuming there are no nasties in your big henhouse (if it's newly built, presumably it's pristine )? A red mite infestion would make them unwilling to spend the night there (have they ever slept in it though?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet88 Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 For the first few nights only one of the new hens went in it on her own, she looked lonely so I put a few more in and closed the door... but then even the lone hen decided the other house was better, I think they talked her round! There doesn't seem to be any signs of red mite in it I had a check earlier because I thought i'd seen some on the small house. Maybe they just don't think my carpentry skills are up to it or the traditional decor is not to their taste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-F-C Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Could you just temporarily move the smaller house until they get used to the larger one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Persevere. Mine have moved coops a few times now. It might take a few weeks but if you can physically put them in the house they're supposed to be in every night it does eventually sink in. They're sooooooo thick I've just bought another massive coop, identical to one I already have and I'm going through a similar situation. Some of them are wandering around aimlessly at bed time, others are in the wrong coops, and there are some who cottoned on after just a couple of days where they were supposed to be My Brahmas think they should sleep on top of an old plant pot now despite me putting them to bed in their new coop every night for a week One night last week there were only four in the old coop when there should've been at least twelve The grass is always greener and all that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 I agree with KFC.... I'd remove the smaller house so that they forget about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet88 Posted August 18, 2009 Author Share Posted August 18, 2009 Thanks, I'll give it a go once the family are back from holiday. Don't fancy trying to lift it over the fence on my own, but it might just work! They'll probably roost underneath it knowing my luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
