Blackbird Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 17 kJ old Pekins arriving this weekend (can’t wait). How long do I keep them fastened in their new home to acclimatise them? The cube is in our woodshed which has plenty of natural light but Cube has no windows! How will they know it is daylight and time to eat and drink? Thank you. Got to get their first week right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 They only need to be shut in the run for about a week so they get used to their surroundings, not actually shut in the Cube. They will soon get used to going in the Cube at bedtime. If they don't, you can shine a light for them to see so they know where to go. I've never done this technique but have popped mine into the Cube for the first couple of nights and they soon get the hang of where they are meant to be. They will help themselves to food and water all day in the run, so make sure you have plenty of stations for them. Don't forget that they will still need to be confined to their run until Bird Flu restrictions are lifted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted March 23, 2021 Share Posted March 23, 2021 Depending on the weather and time of day, I would shut them in the coop for about half an hour after travel, just to give them a little while to settle from the stress. Then open the coop and give them some time to get exploring on their own. But make sure they do go out of the coop at least half an hour before dark, so they can eat before going back to bed. A gentle shove might help them out of the coop. Be prepared to have to get them back to bed for the first few days. It might take them a while to decide the coop is bed. And everything else @Luvachicken said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggsintherushes Posted June 20, 2021 Share Posted June 20, 2021 We have had our chicks in the cube for 3 weeks now and they still won’t go up to bed at night by themselves. Does anyone have any tips to get them to start doing this at night without us having to crawl into the run to lift them in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 What time are you putting them to bed ? Mine don't tend to go to bed until about 9 - 9.30pm. You could put some treats up the ladder. Are any of them laying yet ? If they are, then they must be using the ladder ? Mine took about a week to learn to go up the ladder and took longer to work out how to get down - I think some of them were scared of heights. They will learn from each other and follow like sheep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
