newcountrygirl Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 My three older girls are complete madams. Two weeks ago I decided to get some more hens and ended up with some young chicks. In preparation for getting the newbies I decided to buy another coop so that eventually they can all move into it and I can sell the eglu which wont be big enough for 6. Bought the new Doodlehouse and put it up in the big WIR then moved the three older girls in. They seem to love it - but - it has 4 nest boxes - will they use them all - will they heck! They insist on all using the same one. I have even had an egg laid in the run a couple of times - obviously one of the others was in THE nest box!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I know what you mean, we made ours a new ladder and ledge and neither of my 2 girls have even tried it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Mine have two coups owing to seperating new girls a few months ago. So 3 girls have 2 nesting boxes .They all lay in the same one,One will stand just out side with her legs crossed I am sure and wait.An empty box is 2 metres away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 They are just so funny. My three new chicks are in the Eglu and run and I've place it at the side of the big WIR with the new Doodlehouse, so they can see each other. The older girls go out to free range and show no interest in the new ones. I just hope that when they are old enough to mix - they will all get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs_B Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hehe maybe they think that if they use another nest box they will be missing out on something? I just love chickens' personalities! x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Yup they are like teenagers (and my boss) all rolled into one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 The three newbies are growing in confidence every day - they now don't scarper into the Eglu the minute i approach the run. I have put some branches in the run and they think its great fun to jump from one to another. When I first got them I took the roosting bar (floor) out of the Eglu put today I have put it back in cos I think they will manage not to fall through the bars or get stuck (fingers crossed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dance in the dark Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 At one point I had 5 nest boxes for, at the time, my 11 girls, and they all wanted to lay in the same one, this, as you can imagine, caused lots of arguments. It could vary which nest box from day to day, but all eggs on any given day had to be in the same box. Now I have a cube which, if you don't know had a kind of trough big enough for three hens (although four have made a valiant effort) to lay at the same time in, effectively, the same spot. So that has made life much easier. I think they just can't get over their nature, which is to lay clutches with other hens. I have watched some of my more fussy hens, gather up the eggs from the trough so they can sit on all of them whilst they lay their egg. Although they all lay in the cube now, despite there still being three other nest boxes available, I still hear the odd fracas coming from the cube because one chicken wants the exact spot another girl has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 sorry for the late reply dance in the dark - been a bit busy of late. You hail from not far from where we lived before we moved to Lincolnshire. (Wakefield) As Bikers we have spent many happy times at Sherburn but much preferred if when the milk bar was in the village. We actually looked to see if we could find a new home there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
