TheChookKeeper Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Hello! My cube arrived today, first time I have ever kept chickens - before I say too much, I should say that I am pretty sure it's all my fault, and I think I am expecting too much, but I shall pour my heart out anyway! It was all going really well, as the Omlet-Man built the cube I was happy, I held all the chickens as he clipped their wings, and everything went really well, not much struggling at all. All day was good, chickens seemed friendly and not scared of much at all. One of our cats ventured out later in the day, and all the chooks raised up to full height (they are so huge when they do that!) and started making a hell of a racket, it terrified the cat, who shot back inside, and they calmed down again a few minutes later. This evening (I know, all my fault), I left it too late to put them back in their eglu, the door had been open all day, and one had gone to bed, but the others were walking around in the run going bonkers as 2 other cats had appeared and were stalking them! So anyway - I chased the cats away, and started trying to put the hens away - but they didn't seem keen. Once they were in the cube, they calmed right down, and fell asleep, but in the meantime they were NOT happy. I think it is probably because it had gotten dark, and they were uncomfortable - the cube door was open, but obviously they aren't yet used to it - so I had to pick them all up, and bung them in one by one. Was that the right thing to do? Also - some distubing behaviour - every now and again, a chook would throw itself at the run walls, and hang on with it's feet, flapping furiously and skwarking away like I was trying to murder it! Why?!? They did it more this evening, only once during the day, but that scared me quite a lot! Sorry for rambling... it's just my first day didn't go QUITE as swimmingly as I had hoped! I have been reading up on chooks for weeks on here, and in books, and thought I had all eventualities covered!!! That's me done... how many virtual-trees did this post waste?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Putting them in was the right thing to do if it's dark. It didn't sound too bad a day. It could have been worse. One of my new chooks spent it's 2nd night with me up in tree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissinuk Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Don't worry, they will settle in. We got an eglu (normal one) last week, it was our first time with chickens too. One of ours found her way into the eglu at night but the other one didn't have a clue what to do! She started to panic and ran up & down the run and even tried to hide under the grub! Once they get used to where they are supposed to go at night they will be fine. On night 2 both ours found their way in and 1 week later they put themselves to bed at 7PM! I did read in the manual the other day that you can place a tourch in the eglu to start with so they can find their way in. Once they are in you can take it out, we didn't do this but it might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChookKeeper Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 ...even tried to hide under the grub!... Think yourself lucky... you wouldn't have thought 2 chickens could both fit IN a glug would you... believe me, it is a tight squeeze, and they didn't enjoy it! But both were too chicken (ha ha) to jump back off! I feel a bit like I have let them down! How sad is that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 at first it is normal for them to be panicky and noisy if they dont know where they are supposed to roost. Chickens cannot see in the dark so as the night pulls in the usually set off to bed before darkness. I suspect with your girlies and their new home they were a little confused. You definitely did the right thing picking them up and putting them in. You will be suprised how quickly they will get used to the cube/going to bed. Dont worry too much...it was all new to us once, in no time you will become a chicken expert! enjoy your chooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Steve, sorry you had a bad experience at chicken bed time, but hopefully now that they've worked out where they've got to go it'll get easier. Unfortunately chickens aren't terribly bright I'm afraid, and despite being Omlet hens they'll never have seen a Cube before, so their new home would have been a bit of a mystery to them. They also panic when they don't know what's going on. and their instinct is to roost somewhere safe at night, so they were probably getting very panicky and distressed when they couldn't work out where to go. Hope they had a good night, and that they can work out how to get out in the morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Mine didn't know where to go at night at first with the ordinary Eglu.....a trail of sweetcorn did the trick and they were putting themselves to be within about 5 days. Don't panic...it will sort itself out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robskyd Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 I've read many times on this forum that if you put a torch in the cube/ eglu at dusk it draws the birds to it and then they realise its where they go to bed. You might need to do this for a few nights until they get used to it. Now all you've got to get used to over the next week is them sorting out the peking order... but thats another thread!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffie Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Putting them in was the right thing to do if it's dark. It didn't sound too bad a day. It could have been worse. One of my new chooks spent it's 2nd night with me up in tree! Why were you in a tree Shirl sorry couldn't resist BBx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 being Omlet hens they'll never have seen a Cube before the irony Some chickens are better than others, I've never found the torch to work though. If they don't go in they get lifted. I suppose they can't know what they are supposed to do, they just react by instinct. I'm amused by the idea of 2 chickens in a glug, please tell me they were very young or bantams My podgey hens wouldn't fit in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen&Lee Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Really don't worry As new cube owners ourselves and first time chicken keepers our first day was really not what I imagined. Our cube was late being delivered - the delivery driver was ill,they wanted to postpone delivery ay 11am - (they were due around 11.30am) we were on our way back home with 5 chooks - James came out at 5.30pm. By then we had let these 5 chooks into the run we had built - and decided to let the dogs out thinking they would be fine - HUGE mistake The noise, flapping,panic etc was unreal + plus the speed at which two dogs ran round the run For the next 3 hours the chooks were huddled in one corner virtually on top of each other in a bid not to be a chook on the outside When it came to bedtime they were clueless - 1 went up there, followed by another and they both stayed in the doorway blocking it for the others. The torch through the eggport didn't work - so I had to push them in and put the remaining now panic striken chooks in. On the third night I was determined to leave them to it - and although it took ages they managed to put themselves to bed 3 weeks down the line and I'm enjoying them much more than I did that first week the dogs leave them alone in the run - but it took the purchase of a supersoaker water gun - 4 well fired shots and the knowledge that its right by the door and they leave them alone Hope all goes well for you, Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChookKeeper Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 They came out (in the end) ok this morning, opened up the door at about 8:45am... after about 10 minutes, 2 were out (having fallen down the ladder), it then took until 10:30 to get 5 out, and I didn't have all 6 until about 2:30!!! I had thought the last one was just being difficult... but MUCH to my surprise (and INCREDIBLE excitement), I found a small but perfectly formed egg this afternoon! She must have been brewing it up all morning! Obviously the panic last night wasn't TOO bad for her at least! A picture of my egg-citement this afternoon! (apologies for the giant picture of ME... I couldn't help it! I'll try to stay out of shot next time!!!) It is beautifully egg-shaped, hardly any mess on it at all, and measured in at a massive 59g! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Well done that chicken on the first egg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChookKeeper Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 I am pleased to report that all chickens went home all by themselves tonight... I tried putting them in early, and they didn't like that at all - I shut the door on the eglu to keep the 2 I had caught before dinner, but came out 1/2 hour later to find a queue of distressed chickens at the door! It took another 10 minutes for them all to flap around on the ladder before everyone was in, out, and in again, but they DID do it, and without ANY assistance from me (except a few encouraging words, which I am sure made all the difference Thank you all for your suggestions, much appreciated - hopefully I will have another egg or maybe more tomorrow, and everything will go smoother still! I am a happy chicken keeper again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbieboy Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Just leave the door open they will put themselves to bed when it starts to get dark then nip out and close the door, our Omlet girls have gone to bed themselves from the first night without being shown. That's a bigger egg than any of my chooks have laid and they have been laying for 3 weeks now, our biggest so far is 52g and the chook that layed it has stopped laying for the last 4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xChicken04x Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Congratulations on your new girls!!!! And of course your first egg (lol @ your pic!!!!) We had the same problems with our girls on the first night, it wasnt easy trying to get them all in, they where flapping ans squarking like mad!!! It sounded worse that it was though. It will get easier after the first few nights though!!!! xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 You did better then me. Their first night was mid summer and I wanted to go to bed, the torch wasn't working so I thought we would try what used to work on the budgie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachel19 Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 As for the throwing themselves at the mesh - one of mine still does this if she see's me coming with food. She actually threw herself at me this morning and just splatted into my chest and fell back down again Second time round she landed on my back whilst i was bent over.......im planning on teaching her to sit on my shoulder and fly up onto my arm like henrietta used to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Just leave the door open they will put themselves to bed when it starts to get dark then nip out and close the door, our Omlet girls have gone to bed themselves from the first night without being shown. That's a bigger egg than any of my chooks have laid and they have been laying for 3 weeks now, our biggest so far is 52g and the chook that layed it has stopped laying for the last 4 days. My silkie x bantam lays eggs around the 50g mark so she really must be doing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChookKeeper Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 Well, all the excitement of laying that giant egg first time around must have put her off, as there has been nothing today - I expect she's brewin' a biggun! Mind you - they did come out BEAUTIFULLY this morning... just like they knew what they were doing! One of the neighbours cat parked itself at the end of their run while I was out today - when I got back, they seemed to be tolerating eachother! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckyegg Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Hi All- Having a chuck crisis too. I have 5 Bantams which I got last sunday after my lovely cube arrived. Anyway 4 of them get on great but they are bullying Buttercup, forcing her away from food/ water pecking her and chasing her etc. The first night I had to put them all in the coop cos they didn't have a clue where to go, the second night 4 of them went to bed happily but poor Buttercup refuses to go in- she's really scared of the others. If I lift her in she squawks furiously and flaps until she's out again. She also puts out her wings and fluffs all her feathers up to make herself look huge and kind of growls at me!!! she now has spent 2 nights sitting /roosting on the wheel.... HELP what shall I do??? sorry for the rambling........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Hi Claire and Welcome to the forum It does take a while for the pecking order to sort itself out. Try putting out another couple of bowls of food/water so Buttercup can eat something. They will sort it out eventually. Wait until its dark and then put Buttercup into the cube via the egg port. Hens are really dopey at night and she will settle down. If the pecking gets really bad, you could fit Bumper bits to the other girls, as this prevents serious damage. Do a search on here and you will find lots of posts about them. But i would give it another couple of days. Someone has to be bottom of the pecking order and its sounds like Buttercup will be. I take it they are not laying yet? My girls were much friendlier once they started laying and now get on really well. Hope this helps, but any problems, just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen&Lee Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Hi Clare & Welcome I echo Christian's comments - we got 7 the same day and one of them was obviously younger than the others. But we had two feeders and two glugs and put a water bowl down. For the first week I also sprinkled some pellets in the run for them to forage for. Fortunately our little chook is quite a gutsy lady she put up with them chasing and pecking her in 3 weeks down the line they all live harmoniously Alot of members have had success with popping a chook through the eggport so persevere - I'm sure it will get better. Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckyegg Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Hi Thanks for your replies. It seems that the 'pecking order' has been sorted and Buttercup is now able to get to the food/ water - when the other girlies have finished! She also is going into the cube at night now too. - phew!! Strangely Buttercup is the friendliest of them all, they will all eat out of my hand but Buttercup comes straight over when I go down to their run. Maybe we bonded when the other chooks were being horrible to her???!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
