4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[chickenboy2003]

Hi everyone. I had my Eglu delivered a few days ago and have now filled it with 3 ex-battery hens. The hens had been rescued by a farmer and had been left to freerage around her farm for 2 weeks before we collected them. They have taken very well to the Eglu and even laid 2 eggs the day after we picked them up. The only problem is that they won't roost on the slatted perches in the Eglu and prefer to huddle up in teh little nesting box. I have tried moving them off on to the perches but they just go back in the nesting box again. Does anyone have any idea how i would get them to stay on the perches? Its not a major problem but means that they keeping filling the nesting box full of droppings and they can't have a lot of room when they go to sleep!

 

Any help would be appreciated!

[ClaireG]

You can try putting a football or plantpot in the nesting box to discourage them. Pop it in at night and remove before laying time.

[chickenboy2003]

Thats a great idea - hadn't thought of that! I'll give it a bash tonight and see if it works. Mind you knowing my pesky little feathered friends they will probably work out a way of getting the ball out!

[Ness3103]

my girls slept in the nest box for a couple of weeks but seemed to have sorted themselves out and sleep on the bars now although one of them sleeps with her bottom over the nestbox so does poo in it

[Scramble]

my girls slept in the nest box for a couple of weeks but seemed to have sorted themselves out and sleep on the bars now although one of them sleeps with her bottom over the nestbox so does poo in it

 

One of mine used to do that

Was then the picture of innocence the next day 'What? I didn't sleep in the nest box...'

[Ness3103]

[mikk100]

I would leave them be, they are probably really pleased to have a nice place to snuggle up, that's what I was thinking about mine, i've had 5 for 4 weeks and 3 sleep in the nest box, one half in/half out and another on the roosting bars (I presume because she can't fit in the nest box. I was told by the ex-batt people that they won't know how to perch straight away because they've never done it before but will pick it up in their own time, plus their legs aren't very strong so maybe its just uncomfortable for yours at the minute.

[rufusrooster]

One of mine sleeps in the nest box but i dont have a problem, i poo pick the droppings tray every morning anyway so its no hassle picking it out the nest box at the same time.

[jellykelly]

Having worked at a battery farm as a young kiddy, I know that these birds wouldn't have a clue how to perch. They would never have experienced it.

I don't believe it harms them to be snuggled up and not perching - they probably enjoy the fact that they can snuggle in nice bedding rather then on a smelly, hard, cold, caged floor.

[speckledbec]

I got my 3 ex-batts at the weekend and they do this too, all 3 of them in the nesting area together (very cute) - glad its normal! They've also 'rearranged' all the straw I put in for them to nest in, I think I gave them too much...