juliem Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I have just bought an Eglu classic for my 3 girls, as an upgrade from their wooden house, but they are not very happy to use it. I locked them out of their old house today to encourage them to lay in their Eglu but they have refused to so I relented and let them back into the old house. I planned to move them once they were roosting but I don't have the heart to. They look so happy in their old bed and when they were locked out today they were fighting a bit. Has anyone else had any problems with rehousing? My plan is that tomorrow I will completely remove their old house and they will have no choice. I just hope they don't start pecking each other again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I would shut the door on the tomorrow evening and when they go to bed in their wooden house pick them up and pop them in the . They will sleep and in the morning open up their new dormatory door and let them out into the run. Infact if you can do it tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliem Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thanks for the reply. I don't have a run as my girls are free range but I will transfer them once they are roosting. My other problem is that they don't perch at the moment and all huddle together in, what is in effect, a big nest. When I move them to the Eglu they will have to get used to roosting on perches. I've put bedding in the nest box but do you put straw on your perches or just let them roost on the plastic bars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I use hemcore or similar as straw gets wet and soggy. I think you will find they will probably all hudle in the nesting box. I let mine sleep where they want, some roost while others use the nesting box. Just pop them in and leave them to it. Remove the old wooden coup once once you have done this. Stop worrying. They will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Hi juliem. I know how you feel, however I think it's just habit. I read somewhere that hens really don't like change and I have certainly found this to be true. To give you an example from my own experience, I recently bought a lovely from another forum member and sited it in a bit of the garden the hens were used to living in but not sleeping in. Result - at bed time all eight of my hens try to squash into their ancient in their old WIR. Its not that they don't like their lovely spacious, clean it's just a habit which is so ingrained I'll have to sort it out. Hilarious really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
