Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[ajayb]

Help, please!

Another round of visits by the fox and I've had to replace my flock. Got 6 newbies (around 18-20 weeks) a week ago and they prefer to roost on top of the cube, which is inside a WiR, so they are still safe.

Currently, I'm manually placing them inside the Cube at ca 10.30pm ... Any advice on how to encourage them to do it themselves? Never had a persistent problem with this before and Cube was thoroughly cleaned beforehand.

Thanks

Edited July 12, 2016 by Guest

[emmalou]

We do not have a cube but a house within a run. We are two weeks with new chickens and whilst one goes to bed on their own the others take some encouragement. They are all in within 10 mins but still a hastle as I have had to build a small divide in the run so they are sectioned off in a small area. This does help encourage them in. I am unable to pick them up very easily so you seem one up on us here! I am not sure though with a cube that you can do this?

[ajayb]

Thanks for the reply - sorry you are also having problems! Don't think doing what you've done would help me as they would still choose to go on the roof rather than up the ladder (which is bizarre, since the roof is much higher from the ground ...) I'm beginning to think the problem is age-related: I've probably only bought hens 2-4 weeks older than this before.

I might have to remove the wheels and ladder and put the body of the cube on the ground. If their behaviour doesn't change (or someone doesn't suggest a foolproof method on the forum!) I'll consider doing that at the weekend.

I have to admit, there are worse problems to have with poultry ...

[kopperdrake]

Just a thought, but with new chicks we place a light inside the coop and they tend to gravitate towards the light as the night draws in. Could you maybe try that?

[ajayb]

That's an interesting thought - I always thought they sought out the darkest place to roost - will try that tonight, thanks!

[Grandmashazzie]

Yes just what I was going to say. I had to put torch in coop for a few nights,then they got hang of going to bed.

[ajayb]

Many thanks for the helpful support - the torch is going in tonight!

[kopperdrake]

Any luck?

[ajayb]

Husband cautioned me about putting the torch in too early (lovely clear night here) & by the time I went out, 5 of them were perched on the roof again!

Going to try again (earlier!) tonight ...

[ajayb]

10.15pm - 4 hens still on top of coop, despite torch ... Progress of sorts!

[Cat tails]

Might it be worth putting something on top of the cube to prevent them getting on? Maybe if they feel they haven't got the option, they will accept going inside?

[ajayb]

Good idea! Will try that tonight. Still think maturity is the key as the ones who went into the coop by themselves last night laid their first pullet eggs yesterday.

[Cat tails]

Jeeeh! Eggs!

[ajayb]

Ok ... Boxes on top of cube roof meant that all but 2 went inside tonight. The 2 rebels perched on tiny spaces at either side of the boxes & must have pushed some off to eventually end up side by side when I went out to close the cube door. So: tomorrow night, boxes will cover every inch of the cube roof and be attached to the top of the WiR so they can't be moved - what a fuss! Hopefully, we'll have them trained in a couple more nights and a normal chicken roosting process will resume.

Thanks again.

[Cat tails]

Jeeeh! Progress!

[gavclojak]

Sorry I may be being really dim here but if they are safe within a WIR is here a reason your unhappy with them roosting on the roof?

[ajayb]

Perfectly reasonable question - not only do we have foxes in abundance around our smallholding but also mink, both of which are capable of making their way into a WIR if they can see/smell sitting targets. All of the hens I've lost over the past 8 years have been to foxes while free-ranging, whilst neighbours without eglus (& with a more casual attitude to locking their hens inside a coop overnight) have had large flocks decimated by mink, inside WIRs.

[Luvachicken]

Progress and eggs !!!!

[ajayb]

All of the girls went into the coop last night - yay! - so will leave our ridiculous cube-top wigwam set up in place for one more night in the hope that the problem is now at an end.

 

Again, many thanks to everyone here, both for their support and constructive advice.

[Cat tails]

[Luvachicken]

So glad they got the hang of it in the end