Guest Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Do your hens sit in their Eglu/Coop when they aren't laying? Do they ever just sit in their house because it's cold etc? I notice that mean really only go in their coop to sleep and to lay - the rest of the day, despite the doors being open the choose to sit out on perches in the WIR or they potter around. I see them sitting fluffed up on top of their coop sometimes. Today its blowing a hoolie and very cold with driving sleety rain - where are all 4? Sitting out under the only wired part of the roof. Strange girls!! The new coop that's coming has a large living area, much larger than the current one, maybe they'll sit in their during the day? Do your hens snooze in their house during the day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Funny things aren't they? Mine will only go into the cube when they want to lay, it's bedtime or when broody but they hate the wind and rain so I let them into the utility room where they like to snooze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueandwhite Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Hi my two never seem to voluntarily go into the eglu unless it is to lay. Even in the harshest weather they preferred walking around the garden non-stop or digging in the borders. They do sometimes have a little snooze in the day but usually find a shaft of sunlight on the grass/dirt(!) and have a rest. When they are shut in their run they perch or scratch around. Today they have been working in harmony with a robin, as he was on the bird table they were hoovering up crumbs that he scattered in his search for the best bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I have quite a big hen house and my chickens are small girls, so if I leave the big door open (rather than just the pop hole) there is a lot of room in there and it is quite light. I think this is why they sometimes go in there when it rains and peer out of the doorway like ladies in a bus shelter. If I close the big door then they only go in to lay eggs, to sleep on their perch or if they are broody. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Nope mine only seem to sleep (& poop) in there and only Lisa-Marie is laying so she's the only who pops in there briefly at sometime during the day to chuck bedding about poop a bit more and lay an egg if she doesn't get distracted. It never seems to enter the daft lots heads to have a nap or get out of the wind in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Nope just to lay and sleep. Except Grackle who does a regular patrol probably to check whether anyone else is laying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sageandonion Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Not had our girls very long ,(they're still free-loaders) and we have a wooden house on legs with a run attached. To date once they're out of the house in the morning they stay out until bedtime. If it rains they do shelter under the house though, moaning about the weather . Not sure how they'd be if we get any more white stuff down south. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Our late Matilda, who stopped laying after about a month after coming to us, used to go and have a sit up in the nest box from time to time. If there was one laying in the nest box she would often squeeze in too and they would have a little natter in there together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mollie333 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 A few of my old Pekin girls love to perch inside the house and have a chat, and watch who-ever comes in to the coop to lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henslaved Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 My little Ruby likes to sit in the nest box, she doesn't produce anything, not even a poop . She just seems to sit there for a good while, re-arranging the shredded paper around her. Maybe she goes in there for a warm . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sari Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Mine did when we had -10/12 in the daytimes, but otherwise they just sleep/lay/poop....they like to sit and poop on the top though...roll on the warm weather, and FiL moving it outside the WIR.....no more poop s"Ooops, word censored!"ing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Mine only go in at night and to lay except little Doris who comes in every morning when I open the back to poo pick. She used to just scratch around and generally get in the way but recently has started pushing past me to freedom so then gets some corn so I can put her back - definitely not silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillM Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Sorry for this idiotic question, but it would seem no one would recommend leaving heir hens in the house even if the weather is really foul then? In weather like that (horizontal rain, freezing cold...etc) what is the best way to keep them comfy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I would put a tarpaulin on the windward side of your run to give them some shelter and cover the top of the run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouldercroft Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 my girls seem to take day-time naps in the or maybe they just pop inside for a warm up? they also seem to like taking things inside - leaves, rocks and woodchips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie1007 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Mine have been spending quite a lot of time in the nest box in the warm I think! Today and yesterday they ventured out into the sunshine! They're not laying yet though, still babies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Sorry for this idiotic question, but it would seem no one would recommend leaving heir hens in the house even if the weather is really foul then? In weather like that (horizontal rain, freezing cold...etc) what is the best way to keep them comfy? I did wonder about keeping them in when we had daily temperatures of -9/10 but they were always keen to come out - I figured they had the option to go in/stay out. Mine seem happy having the freedom to come/go as they please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JillM Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thank you for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NannyOgg Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 All of mine have little rests in the cube throughout the day...they seem to have a routine...up and out as soon as they can, potter about a bit, then have a rest around 10am for an hour or so, then back out. Then they have another rest at around 3pm for another hour or so, then back out until bedtime. Hermione and Esme pop in to lay, but Ebony seems too scared to lay inside, she's laid one behind the wheel of the cube, and another right in the middle of the garden! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 My girls decided today that despite a howling gale that their afternoon 'walk-about' would not be put off for another day - so around the garden we went, stopping every 3 seconds to examine things, pick at the grass, stare glassy eyed into the dyke in the hope of movement - after 10 very blowy minutes when the rain decided to come on horizontally, i called time and we all retreated to the relative calm of the WIR. Ohhhh, they make me smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 mine sometimes go in if it's raining too much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
