Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: wolverine on July 10, 2013, 00:09
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Hello people its been a long time since my last post but I have a problem ..
About 2 months ago my 2 hens started sleeping on the kitchen windowsill and we can't figure out why they are about 3.5 years old now have always slept in there eggluu cube and now only go in it to lay eggs. At night if you put them to bed they just head straight back to the windowsill I don't want to force them to sleep in the coop as it doesn't bother me but why after all this time would they develop a disliking to the coop?
any suggestions ?
Thanks
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Is it because it's so very hot at the moment. I'd do a thorough check of the inside of the Cube to make sure there are no lodgers in there as hens will keep out of the coop if they're sharing it with mites etc
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Don't think it's the heat they are sleeping there even in the rain. could be mites ill poultry shield the coop I proberbly have been a complacent with it being a plastic coop.
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Check it out as you don't need to use Poultry shield if you don't have to. Empty it all out and get a close look at it to confirm the presence of critters, or not. Check the ends of the roosting bars especially :)
I used to clean my Eglu just with hot soapy water (Fairy Liquid etc) and then rinse off with cold water and allow everything to dry out in the sun before putting everything back together :)
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It does sound as if there is something in there that they don't like (red mite). Probably best to move the eglu cube away from its normal place on a drive or similar to check and clean. That way any mites that get washed off are less likely to find their way back.
You say you have 2 hens in a cube, did you have more as it could be that they are missing company in a large coop. ;)