Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: cotswoldchick on February 22, 2015, 17:59
-
I used to have a lovely lenham house for my previous chooks, but when the chooks went, the lenham went with them. In a position to have hens again, I decided to have the eglu "go" .. the one that is raised up with a ladder. My chickens really don't like it and will only go in when it's windy, or to lay. They are quite safe outside as they are in a 40' fox proof run (it used to be an owl rescue aviary and has concrete foundations with a half covered wire roof) but sometimes I wonder if they'd be more comfortable "indoors". They are often quite warm when I pick them up off their outside perch on a cold cold night so they're not suffering .. but I am a worry wart type of mummy ::)
-
Some hens do prefer to roost outside and it sounds like you have a very secure run, so they will be fine.
You could try putting them into the coop at night once they have settled. If they wake up in there over a few mornings, they may well decide that its not so bad :)
-
If you open the back and shine a torch through the door at the hens when they are ready for bed, they may well walk towards the light. I moved my hens and they had to get used to a new home, and at first they didn't want to go into the Eglu. I did the light trick and once they realised that it was where they were to sleep, they went in automatically thereafter.
I like to know that they are safely tucked in at night even though their run is secure too, so can sympathise with you.
-
My hens also roost in their fox proof run :nowink: