[sirius951]

Hello; hope you are all well!
Firstly sorry about the super long post. I figured the more info i give the more likely you'll all be able to help and i so want to get it all perfect for them. Plus i'm a newbie and maybe over anxious.
 I think i've aleady made some mistakes with my 4 black rock hens. Is it too late or can you all help? I hope you can. They were 12 weeks old when they arrived and i asked about confining them to their house; the delivery guy said if i keep them confined to the run they should be fine. Day 1 they trundled up the ramp to bed fine. Day 2 they decided they would prefer to roost on top of their coop and they haven't gone in on their own since. It's just that bit too high for me to grab them firmly so there was a lot of flapping and hysterics. After a while i got worried that my hens hate me me 'cos of the nightly drama and got my partner to do it for me. He's taller and has bigger hands. They've grown so quickly he is now finding it tricky to get both hands round them to trap their wings too. I would really like them to start going in on their own so they can get used to us without being freaked out every night. They do now approach us when we're in the run and can be downright cheeky (one snatched an unlit cigarette out of my hand and i had to chase her round the run to get it back before she ate it!) and they will eat out of our hands and allow a very little bit of a stroke while we hand feed them.  As long as there are no sudden moves and we don't try to touch them they're pretty confident really. I don't necessarily need them to be my best mates but iwould like to be able to pick them up without fuss for when i need to check for red mite etc.
So what is the answer? Do i ......
1) put something on the apex of the coop so they can't roost there - if so any suggestions as to what please.
2) use less stalosan and diatomaceous earth inside the coop. I may have gone over the top with it leaving it too dusty so they don't like it?
3) leave them to stay out overnight in the hope they don't like it and start going in They'll be safe - it's like Fort Knox out there!
4) confine them to the coop for a couple of days or is it too late for this?
5) keep putting them in ourselves and wait for them to get the idea on their own.
Any thoughts?

Also because i can't pick them up to check them yet i am worried about red mite. The coop was creocoted (cresote light) the week before they arrived. So that's about a month ago now; hopefully that will prevent them for a while. Also lashings of diatom in there. Will they be ok? I am thinking of painting the inside of their coop with something to make the wood non porous so red mite can't get a look in. Some kind of plastic paint? I have looked at acrylic spray paint which i think is a plastic paint and plastikote outdoor paint which looks good to me and dries out quickly so hopefully no fumes by bedtime or does anyone know of anything else i can use as a sealant? I do have a big tin of bitumen paint - would that do it? It might take longer to dry though and there are the fumes to think of. I'm  kind of after the advantages of having a plastic coop without the price tag.
Any suggestions gratefully received!!!

Despite all the worry i find they're unexpectedly wonderful pets. Fascinating to watch, funny and way less smelly noisy and hard work than say a dog.

Thank you all for your patience in reading through all this.

Good night all  

[joyfull]

first of all when checking for red-mites you don't need to check the birds. The red-mites only go on the birds when they are feeding and then that is at night. Mites and lice live on the birds and lay their eggs along and around the base of the the feather shafts.
A simple trick to help get them into the coop is to put a torch in there to show them the way in. Or you could lay a small trail of corn up the ramp and inside the coop for a few nights until they are used to going in the coop.
When holding them I simply catch a bird and then tuck it under one arm - if I have them facing backwards it is then easy to check around their vents to see if there are any lice eggs 

[Sassy]

Making the wood non-porous won't help with red mite, it is cracks and crevices that you need to be aware of. Using any sort of paint it will at some stage start to peel and then the hens will get interested in it and may ingest it. Put diatomaceous slurry into the search and this can be painted into all crevices and around the roosting bar.

[sirius951]

Thank you for your comments 

I'll give up on the paint idea then. That's saved me a lot of time trying to figure out which paint would do etc.
I'm surprised about the mites though. I've got a childhood memory of my dad showing me the red mite infestation on his pigeons and i thought it would be the same. Just goes to show there's nothing worse than thinking you know what you're doing when you don't. I'll start with holding there treats during the day and try and tempt them up the ramp with them into a torchlit house. If i can get them to beddy byes without all the flapping i can work on building up thir confidence and picking them up in a week or 2.
Maybe i'm over worrying and complicating things. A bit more patience needed i think 

I'm very grateful to you both for replying.

[ANHBUC]

Your memories of the pigeons may be that they were roosting when your Dad showed you.  They feed at night and crawl along the perch and up the birds legs to feed.  Then hide away during the day.

[grinling]

Don't take cigarettes into the run as it would harm the chooks if they ate it.
I have 2 large flower pots in the nest boxes to stop the new hens from perching there. They have only ever been inside, so I have had to pick them up and put into the hen house and shut the pop hole. They perched on night 3!!
Can you lower the height of the hen house temporarily so you can reach them?

[morbidia]

Are you absolutely sure you don't have red mite in the coop because this is a common reason for hens to not want to go in the coop at night, check the coop with a torch when it gets dark  and you will see them. Also run your hand over any dots, if it comes away red that it crushed mites filled with blood, they don't show up during the day but you quite often get a grey dust llike substance inside the coop, I know you have used diatom and creocote but these will not eradicate red mite completely, I used to out Diatom on the bottom of my coop with the bedding but now I paint it on with a soft paint brush, I also cover the ends and underside of the perch with vaseline then sprinkle diatom onto to vaseline, this stops them from crawling along the perches when the birds are roosting

[Anndee]

Grinling: where did the ciggie thing come from??

Morbidia: Do you paint Diatom on dry with a paint brush, or mix with water to make a paste first and then paint it on??
Also, are there any better brands of Diatom powder than others. I have some Smite but not sure how good it is.

Thanks Anne

[themagicaltoad1]

They're clearly not going into their coop at night out of spite because you took their fags away

[EdyBeams]

Hello; hope you are all well!
Firstly sorry about the super long post. I figured the more info i give the more likely you'll all be able to help and i so want to get it all perfect for them. Plus i'm a newbie and maybe over anxious.
  I think i've aleady made some mistakes with my 4 black rock hens. Is it too late or can you all help? I hope you can. They were 12 weeks old when they arrived and i asked about confining them to their house; the delivery guy said if i keep them confined to the run they should be fine. Day 1 they trundled up the ramp to bed fine. Day 2 they decided they would prefer to roost on top of their coop and they haven't gone in on their own since. It's just that bit too high for me to grab them firmly so there was a lot of flapping and hysterics. After a while i got worried that my hens hate me me 'cos of the nightly drama and got my partner to do it for me. He's taller and has bigger hands. They've grown so quickly he is now finding it tricky to get both hands round them to trap their wings too. I would really like them to start going in on their own so they can get used to us without being freaked out every night. They do now approach us when we're in the run and can be downright cheeky (one snatched an unlit ecigs out of my hand and i had to chase her round the run to get it back before she ate it!) and they will eat out of our hands and allow a very little bit of a stroke while we hand feed them.  As long as there are no sudden moves and we don't try to touch them they're pretty confident really. I don't necessarily need them to be my best mates but iwould like to be able to pick them up without fuss for when i need to check for red mite etc.
So what is the answer? Do i ......
1) put something on the apex of the coop so they can't roost there - if so any suggestions as to what please.
2) use less stalosan and diatomaceous earth inside the coop. I may have gone over the top with it leaving it too dusty so they don't like it?
3) leave them to stay out overnight in the hope they don't like it and start going in They'll be safe - it's like Fort Knox out there!
4) confine them to the coop for a couple of days or is it too late for this?
5) keep putting them in ourselves and wait for them to get the idea on their own.
Any thoughts?

Also because i can't pick them up to check them yet i am worried about red mite. The coop was creocoted (cresote light) the week before they arrived. So that's about a month ago now; hopefully that will prevent them for a while. Also lashings of diatom in there. Will they be ok? I am thinking of painting the inside of their coop with something to make the wood non porous so red mite can't get a look in. Some kind of plastic paint? I have looked at acrylic spray paint which i think is a plastic paint and plastikote outdoor paint which looks good to me and dries out quickly so hopefully no fumes by bedtime or does anyone know of anything else i can use as a sealant? I do have a big tin of bitumen paint - would that do it? It might take longer to dry though and there are the fumes to think of. I'm  kind of after the advantages of having a plastic coop without the price tag.
Any suggestions gratefully received!!!

Despite all the worry i find they're unexpectedly wonderful pets. Fascinating to watch, funny and way less smelly noisy and hard work than say a dog.

Thank you all for your patience in reading through all this.

Good night all 

Well I have been dealing with various sorts of pets but never got hens.. My friend has little experience so he might be able to help you out..

[Sassy]

NB the original post is about two years old!