kjl0711 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 I am collecting twenty one rescue hens and two rescue bantams next week. I have two cubes and one an original eglu. Would I be best to locate the houses next to one another or apart? As I am collected the hens early evening I was planning on putting them straight into the houses for the night when we get back and then open the doors and let them explore their new home the next morning? The run has a perimeter of approx 40 meters so they will have plenty of room. Are they clever enough to go back to the house they were originally in or will they all try and go in one cube? The run is fox/owl proof so I do not plan to shut them up each night. What are peoples thoughts on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Well done for rescuing so many! I think that as you will be having one big flock, it would be a good idea to place the cubes and eglu next to each other and the chickens will then decide where they want to sleep. You might find that they all cram into the same place together as they will probably be used to being squished together - are they ex barn hens? When we rescued our 3 girls, they all sat together in the nesting box in the cube, they didn't seem to know what to do with the roosting bars! Lucky girls, sounds like they are coming to chicken equivalent of Buckingham palace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 All sounds good but do make sure that your run is covered with a clear, waterproof tarp or similar - they will need dry areas to go to, and for their feeders. Also, we will all soon be under DEFRA prevention measures, so all poultry will need to be kept under cover in bird proof and roofed runs; this will last all winter, I think it was March before we let them out this year.... you can pretty much bank on this happening every winter now, so it would pay to be prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Re going to bed When we got ex batts it took them a few nights to go into coop. I found putting a torch in at dusk did the trick until they got the hang of it. They will probably sort themselves into little groups but most of mine never got the hang of roosting bars and slept in nest boxes. Also have a lot of feed stations and a lot of feed.as at the beginning they will eat and eat and eat.Enjoy your new girls and what a lovely start they are getting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...