[chasechicken]

Not sure if you've had this - but last night when we topped up our hens' water they were all huddled in ONE nestbox.  There is not enough ground space for them to sit side-by-side in each box as obviously that's not the idea... so they were on top of each other!?

...firstly - we found it funny and so have you seen this before?

Then it got me wondering... it was cold last night and so were they suffering?  Should I put more bedding in for them or maybe give them a hot water bottle or something?  (sounds stupid but I'm a real softy!)

...or, do you think they were just having a little bonding time?

Thanks!

D

[cathangirl]

Hello Chasechicken,
Maybe a daft question, but do they have perches in the main part of their house?  That is where they are meant to go to sleep.
Providing there are no drafts, hens should be OK because they grow their own duvets.  Exception to the rule being hens in moult and ex-batts of course.
cathangirl

[shiatsusu]

Ours do exactly the same thing and they're fine. I suspect they move around during the night onto the perches- there is evidence in the morning!! 

[treacleminer]

Someone (Vember, Babe?) had a poll on here about a year ago 'guess the number of chickens in the nest box'  They may be kind enough to repost the piccie

It's probably nothing to worry about - just bonding as you said - but may be worth just checking the house for signs of mites and dusting the ends of the roosting bars with diatom or louse powder.

As Cathangirl said - they've got their own duvets - so won't be cold

[chasechicken]

Lol - great, thanks for reassurance.  They are ex-batts but only one is lacking a full set of feathers.

They do have a roosting perch and have used this up until now.  I'm hoping they moved at some point in the night because there was a whole load of poop stacked up in the box.

Would be great to see the photo - it's a shame it was so dark last night otherwise I'd have got a pic (didn't fancy startling them with the flash!)

Am sorting mite powder, wormer etc. over the weekend...

[Vember]

Hi TM

It was Babe and a quick search has shown photo no longer available

Chasechicken -  if they have got perches are they higher or lower than the nest box?
Chickens nearly always go to the highest place to roost at night, although I have one who insists on going in the nest box at night  

Sarah

[chasechicken]

The perch is marginally higher - I didn't want to make it too high in case they couldnt get up at first - I do intend to raise it further in the coming weeks.

To be honest, I dont mind where they sleep as long as they're happy - and they seem to be settling in well.

...so far we've had 8 eggs, none of which have been in the nest boxes bless em!

[Jane-M]

My crew have a beautiful roost and only one of them (out of goes to sleep on it. I think another one or two may hop up during the night cos there is more than one thump if I open up early. When it's cold they do cram together in a heap in one corner of the house, and the percher perches right above them.

I've got two new littl'uns that are to be brought into the big house over the next week, they have been barn raised and since coming to me are in a perchless coop, so that's a little training job for me. But why is it that if perching is such an instinct in hens they need persuading to try it or indeed refuse to do it at all? Perhaps I make the floor too cosy for them?

[chasechicken]

It seems to make little sense really!  The other weird thing - the nest box they all decided to huddle in had been stripped of it's bedding so was just bare wood!

Our four ex-batts immediately went onto the perch when we first introduced them to their coop - and stayed there until we let them out so I think there is some instinct there...

[shiatsusu]

I think we all worry too much- as long as they have a warm, dry, safe place to sleep, are eating, drinking, pooing, laying eggs (if old enough) and no obvious signs of distress or poor health they'll sort themselves out

[chasechicken]

Indeed shiatsusu - thing is, I'm a total softy.  If my cat sneezes I lose sleep!!!

...good job I haven't got children really!

[shiatsusu]

I made porridge for my 5 girls this morning because it was snowing... one of them gets left out and picked on by t'others so i put out 3 bowls. HTB came in and asked why i hadn't put out five bowls so they could each have their own porridge. I started to agree then looked round to see him grinning- he think's I'm bonkers! Our girls have a special place in our hearts and I wouldn't have it any other way either