Poorly chicken

[anniebrown007]

Sorry don't think this is really the right place to post this but I'm having trouble getting to grips with the site!

My dog chewed up my instruction booklet as soon as I got my eglu - the original igloo-shaped kind - so I don't know if I'm supposed to only put bedding in the round nest-well or all over the place? Do the bars need to be left free so they can perch? I've stuffed extra straw down the back where a big draught seems to whistle in over the droppings tray, but maybe this is a mistake?

Worried cos the last two nights my two have gone off and slept somewhere else rather than come home. Feared they had gone looking for somewhere warmer - but then late this afternoon found them roosting six foot high up in a bush. Could this be where they slept? If so I can they be too hot, not too cold?

Very confused - somebody please help!

Annie

[Sheilaz]

Hello, and welcome to the forum, and the wonderful world of chickenkeeping!

You don't need to put anything in the roosting bar area, and I don't even put anything in their nestbox area either.

Some people use straw, aubiose or hemcore in the nestbox.

 

Omlet recommend keeping the chickens in their run for the first week, so they know where home is, have you had yours long? It might be an idea to do this for a few days now to stop the tree roosting, and get them used to using the Eglu.

 

I moved your post to the Eglu area, we tend to use the Nestbox for general chat. Hope you enjoy exploring the forum, there's lots of info. here.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you again. Do keep us updated, and hope you have fun with your hens.

[Redwing]

Hi and welcome

 

Congratulations on your new hens

 

I would also recommend confining them to the tun till they know where to sleep, a week or so should do it

 

I pt Aubiose (horse bedding) in the poo tray - if you use bedding in the poo tray a thin covering is best to allow air to circulate under the hens

 

Dont cover the bars and the slot at the back should be fine without being covered

 

I also use Aubiose in the next box too

 

As you only ahve two hens a bale of Aubiose would last an age but the small bales of softwood shavings from pet shops are fine to use too, some people use shredded paper as they can get it free

[Patricia W]

It sounds as though yours are like two of mine who sleep in an eglu. If left to their own devices they prefer to roost up high in the garden, but I try not to let them.

 

Ideally, get them back into the run before it goes dark - tempting them with corn usually works. I then lock them in and they go to bed in the eglu- no problem.

 

If I forget, I have to get the torch out and gather them up one by one and carry them to bed. If they didn't have white heads it would be a nightmare! But this is the time of day when they are most vulnerable to predators so best to get them in the run earlier rather than later.

 

 

Interestingly, the ones I transferred to a cube from the eglu don't have this problem- they automatically go back to the cube as its high up and they can roost safely.

 

Hope you sort it all out

 

Tricia

[docsquid]

Yes, try and get them back in the run before it gets dark - I am getting mine back in by 3.45pm at the moment, so they have a bit of time to feed and drink before settling down. Corn usually works for me too, and I also use hemcore - a good layer in the nest box, a thin layer on the poo trays (not that they use them - they are sleeping in the nest box!

 

Best to keep them in for a few days so they know where "home" is as well.

[Wendy O]

Hi, new to forum but had Mk 1 Cube when it first came out.  Now have GoUp with 3 little maids but not sure how cold they will be when winter arrives as I live in Brecon Beacons, Wales!  They are quite young with only one currently laying & they sleep on top of one another inside coop already - are they cold??

Off to look at 'Blue Moon' over the mountains later today - still worried about Nutmeg, Twiglet & Pearly Queen tho!

Wendy

[Cat tails]

On 8/30/2023 at 7:37 PM, Wendy O said:

Hi, new to forum but had Mk 1 Cube when it first came out.  Now have GoUp with 3 little maids but not sure how cold they will be when winter arrives as I live in Brecon Beacons, Wales!  They are quite young with only one currently laying & they sleep on top of one another inside coop already - are they cold??

Off to look at 'Blue Moon' over the mountains later today - still worried about Nutmeg, Twiglet & Pearly Queen tho!

Wendy

What type of chickens do you have? Ordinary ones can withstand quite low temperatures.