Eglu cube or go up with 2m run

[emmat]

Hi all!

 

Just brought 5 ex-batts home. They're in my cube but I don't know how to get at them to lift them into bed. Any ideas? Tried coaxing with a handful of corn but they looked at me like I'm mental.

 

Can I leave them in the run over night? I'd rather not but how do I get to them? Should I put the roosting bars down on the ground under the house bit so they can roost (if I can't get to them that is).

 

Help

[chick wiggle]

First of all take a deep breath and dont panic They have never seen a house like that before let alone a ladder wait until it gets a bit darker and they are all a bit sleepy and dopey, then im afraid you will have to get into the run to pick them up and put them in the house yourself. You may need to do this for a few nights but they will very soon get the idea. you may have to 'encourage' them out in the morning too. Dont worry, they'll be fine

[emmat]

Crikey... How will I get through that tine door!!

[jimnpaula]

Well done for getting batts Just remember they won't have had much exercise so they won't be very fit - mine had trouble with the cube ladder so I ended up getting the husband to make a shallow ramp which they found much easier. Ours also needed showing where bed was but soon got the hang of it. Getting them to lay in the nest box instead of sleeping in it took longer!

 

I've assumed your door problem is with the cube run door - can you open some of the cage clips to make a bigger opening? (use a 2p piece and twist) If you've got a small door I think I've seen photos here they are!where the panel above has been released to flip down and allow someone to step over...... (if you mean the cube door, just shove them in and they'll move back )

 

P

Edited July 3, 2010 by Guest

[Chucky Mama]

Can you put something in like a brick or log to make it easier for them to get to the first rung of the ladder. If it were me I would be inclined to let them stay in the run if they are happy there. Depends on your fox risk - something only you can weigh up I only shut mine in when they are inclined to be noisy otherwise I don't shut the inner cube door.

[chick wiggle]

If you cant do it tonight, dont worry, its not too cold and so long as the run is secure they will be fine sleeping outside whereever they are, and gives you time to think of how to get in tomorro

[Hens@HalfMoonLane]

I got some ex batts 2 weeks ago and they had no idea that the Eglu was for sleeping in. I had no option but to climb in the Eglu run and coax them in - not a pretty sight. I don't think yours will realise that the cube is for sleeping in. I wouldn't leave them in the run or they won't learn where to sleep.

 

The next night mine put themselves to bed. It may be that tomorrow night with the help of a ramp or brick they may get themselves to bed - maybe not for a while.

[emmat]

Thanks all

 

I just got in with them and they went mental - really shouting and jumping and flapping. It scared me! I've put a ramp up so I'll see how they are in half hour...

[Mercedes55]

We got our ex batts today, 4 of them for an Eglu, which we know is not going to be big enough, so we are already planning to buy a much bigger coop with a WIR.

 

Trying to get ours into their coop tonight was a nightmare. We have one poor hen who has a limp and was having trouble in the run, never mind trying to get into the coop. By 10pm 2 of the hens had gone into the coop on their own and we had to try and coax the other 2 in. The hen with the limp kind of jumped in, but the other more feisty one decided to make a break for freedom and shot out through the door of the run. She promptly landed in the garden pond, half got out and landed back in again and my OH had to go and rescue her and they both ended up very wet and bedraggled.

 

I'm not too sure about the design of the run, it's really too low to be able to do anything with. You can only get inside it if the floor is clean as you would have to crawl in. Why they haven't put a door on the side like you can have with the Go version I don't know. We've only had our Eglu a week and have already concluded it isn't for us.

 

I don't think just leaving them in the run to sleep is a good idea as we had noticed that one of ours had fallen asleep by the corner of the coop with part of her foot through the bars, would hate to think what could have happened if we had left her there all night and a fox had come along!

 

I know someone had mentioned using a torch at night to get hens to go into the coop, not really sure what that is supposed to do but we tried that and it did nothing

[Pharaoh]

I am not looking forward to Monday night when I get home with my 4 ex-batts. I assume they need a drink at least if not some food otherwise I would put them straight into the Eglu. At lease there is no water in our pond yet!

[Mercedes55]

Hi Pharoah, I'm sure you will be fine. I do think they will need food and water as you can't be sure if they will have been given much during the day. We picked our hens up in the afternoon, so it was teatime by the time we got them home so we just left them in the run till bedtime. They are a lot bigger than I had thought they would be and they are much clumsier than I had imagined too. The bowls I had used for their food and water just got tipped over all the time, the only thing they really loved was the big dish I had filled with dirt and sand, they all just kept going over to that and pecking at it till it was pretty much empty. We are just hoping everything will be fine in the morning, don't think we will get much sleep tonight worrying about them, especially our hen with the limp who is most certainly the most fragile of them all right now

 

Pond and chickens don't seem to go well together, I don't think they can swim for starters

[Pharaoh]

Arrived home with 4 ex-batts at 9.30 pm. Cardboard box nearly collapsed with their weight as I my ventilation slits were rather big and I had taped on an end panel so that I could get them into the run easily enough. That went well. They stood like statues for ages then walked around. The one which appeared smallest was the only one who drank. Two went to bed, then the third and the last after a bit of prodding by 10.30pm. Phew!

[Mercedes55]

I was surprised at how heavy they are too. We had 2 in a plastic pet carrier and 2 in a cardboard box and they both seemed very heavy to me. I hope they had a good night's sleep, at least you managed to get them into the coop