Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: juce on January 27, 2009, 20:04

Title: Chickens won't leave the coop? HELP!
Post by: juce on January 27, 2009, 20:04

Hello can anyone please help me and my chickens? I'm new to chickens and as a gift I was given 2 rhode Island hens that are aprroximately 2years old. They were from a farm. We got them on Thursday and from reading the other questions on this site put them into their coup -which is upstairs above the run with a ladder coming down - however this is where they have been and have not come out, is this normal? I have opened the hatch to allow them to come out on their own but they haven't!! What should I do I'm worried as they've not eaten for 2 days now and I'm not sure if I should have picked them up and put them downstairs or not? Can anyone help me and my girls?
Thanks
 

Title: Re: Chickens won't leave the coup? HELP!
Post by: Vember on January 27, 2009, 20:09

Hi Juce
Welcome to the Hen House :)

Your best bet is to lift them out and pop them in the run, they're obviously not used to ladders and the like :) They'll get the hang of it but they might need your assistance for a day or so :D

Sarah :D

Title: Re: Chickens won't leave the coup? HELP!
Post by: richyrich7 on January 27, 2009, 20:12

Hi Juce welcome to the forums,  :D

I'd be tempted in the morning to try scattering a little corn at the bottom of their ladder to see if that tempts them to come down, their bound to be hungry by now. But if say after an hour or so they've still not come down then I'd pick them up and put them down in the run. They don't like change much so it's probably just the change they adapt pretty quick tho'  ;)

Next day do the same again see if they will come down, but leave longer periods between opening up and taking them down, just in case they get used to the idea of having a slave to get them out  :lol:

Title: Re: Chickens won't leave the coop? HELP!
Post by: juce on January 27, 2009, 20:15

Thank you  - I will give it a go in the morning!! :) I have tried putting a trail of food from the top of ladder all the way down and they appear very stubborn!

Title: Re: Chickens won't leave the coop? HELP!
Post by: Foxy on January 27, 2009, 22:24

maybe just pop a little food and water into the henhouse  -dont worry they will eventually find their way around. :) It sounds like you have an ark of some sort? A tip to encourage them back into their sleeping accomadation is to use a torch. Place the torch inside their sleeping quarters and they will follow the light to bed. :tongue2: