Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[Townsend Orchard]

Hi, we just purchased our first pair of layers from a local pure breeder. Guess we should have gone hybrid to start with but thought pure and rare breed a good option having read that pure breeds are hardier?

 

Anyway we have bought 1 x light sussex and 1 x silver sussex and placed them in the new coop recently purchased. We kept them in for the day as suggested by the breeder and then opened the door the following day anticipating them coming out and roaming around the 50m2 pen we have allocated them.

 

My problem is they do not seem to want to venture out of the coop for more than a few minutes to feed and drink then go back in? I have tried offering a little corn to encourage them but that only gets them a foot from the run and then they go stright back in?

 

Am i doing something worng or is this normal? i guess they will not be laying eggs for a good while yet either?

 

Any help or advice would be great as dont want to harm them in anyway.

[chelsea]

All sounds perfectly normal to me

 

They are just settling in at the mo. When we first got ours it was several days before they left their home and they hardly ate anything either which was worrying. Eventually they get more courage and used to where they are and venture further.

 

Pure breeds do take longer to mature, ours were 9months before any eggs. A sure sign of a hen coming into lay is the "squatting" when you approach them with your hand above them. They will also eat lots more when laying.

[Egluntyne]

They will settle down and pluck up some courage in time. All perfecly normal.

[emchook]

When I got my lot, the breeder said to keep them in for 2 weeks ... I didnt manage that long before I let them out .. but it did give me and them a chance to get to know each other .. Two of them would run straight back into the eglu when they saw me coming and it took about 4-5 days before they were all eating corn out of my hand !