[inab]

I bought 4 Goldline ladies on Saturday and have a few questions.  If anyone could help, I'd be most grateful.

They lived in a lovely barn when I bought them - could that be a reason why they seem to prefer hanging out in their house and the little run attached to it, rather than venture into their very fine large section of garden I have spent so long making fox proof? Do I close the house and the little run in the day to encourage them into the open space?

The house came with two perches which were resting on some crossbars in the upper part of the house.  The hens did not go there at all so i thought that the perches might be too high, so I put them on the floor to encourage the hens to perch.  However. although they seem to occasionally sit on them, two sleep in a nest box each, and the other two perch on the 5mm piece of wood which divides the nestboxes.  How do I get them not to sleep in the nestboxes?  Does it matter if they sleep in the nest boxes?  I read somewhere that the perches should be higher than the boxes.

They seem to be eating very few pellets.  They have an abundance of grass and bugs and worms, so they might not need anything else?

That's it for now.

Thank you

[Vember]

Hello & Welcome to the mad house  

It might just take them a while to get used to the great outdoors, I got some ex-barns and it was 4 days before they would go on the grass, they just looked at it shocked  

I would just give them time & the odd treat on the grass might help
Dried meal worms have always encouraged mine to go into the unknown

As for perching not all my hens do, but it is best if you can get them to perch try lifting them on to the perches at night, you might have to do this for a week but they will hopefully learn.

If they insist on sleeping in the nest box just keep it clean poop wise, I move mine every morning

As for food mine have layers pellets and corn, do you know what they were eating before, might it have been mash?? It might be a caes of them not being used  to what your giving them.

Do you know how old they are ?? If they are young they might have been on a growers ration???

Hope that helps a little,

Just shout out if there's anything we can do , there's always someone around



Sarah

[poultrygeist]

Hello inab and welcome.  

just shifting you over to the Hen House for a better chance at answers

Vember's said it all pretty much. Could you block their access to the nest boxes at night ? ..maybe put something in them that you can remove in the morning.

Would you be able to post any photos of your setup ? ...someone might spot a reason for their reluctance to perch or venture out.

Instructions are here...
 http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=19476

I hope they sort themselves out soon. It can take a while for them to settle into a different routine and environment.

Rob

[inab]

Thank you both.  I was told that they would start laying in two weeks, so I thought that layers pellets would be suitable from this point forward.

Screening off the nest boxes at night is a good idea, I will try that.

I'll take some photos and post them.

Thanks again

[Vember]

It may be that they've been fed the mash rather than the pellets ??

Try adding some hot water to some of  the pellets, enought to soften it make it look discusting and see if that works.

Corn is also a good idea especially in winter helps see them through the night

One other thing that I just thought should just ask have they got access to oyster shell & grit??
Even when they have layers they should still have that


Sarah

[inab]

Ok so chickens are like children, they make total liars of you.  When I checked on them yesterday afternoon, they were out of their house and their little run in the big run, eating the pellets and the greens and generally smirking at me.  Feeling foolish but pleased.

I screened off the nest boxes with a bit of carboard for the night and when it was dark checked on them, and they were huddled in a corner together, NOT perched.  I put two of them on the perches, including the hen they all seem to follow.  So we'll see.  Why do they have to perch?

One of them is also doing a copper coloured poo, so I've put 10ml of Apple Vinegar per 1l of water and have bought some worming pellets to mix with their normal pellets.

Now all we need are EGGS!

Thank you

[inab]

Oh and yes, I do scatter some grit/shell mix in the big run for them.

[compostqueen]

I only use 1/4 of a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the full drinker.  Also worming tablets are only used as described on the container, not every day so just check to make sure as you don't want to over-medicate your girlies

I'm sure you won't have long to wait for eggs. Good luck  

[inab]

Thank you, I will check the instructions carefully for the worming pellets.

I've checked with the manufacturers of the vinegar, and they recommend 10ml per litre (two children medicine spoon full - I knew I keep all those for a reason), but I will keep an eye on how much they drink and maybe dilute it a little more if needed.

[Vember]

Hi Inab

Regarding your girlies poop have a look here

It's really nice, just make sure your not eating

The poop you mention sounds like a ceacal poop which is quite normal


http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=17568

[poultrygeist]

....and if it is, you'll know about it from a hundred paces.  :roll:

They have a unique aroma.

Rob

[inab]

Now do I tell my husband that I have just - with interest - looked at 15 different kinds of chicken excrement?

Thank you, I will stop worrying for now and just let them get on with it.

Have a good afternoon.

[Tinkers]

Hi Inab,

I have just read your post, and if it is any help, we are quite new to chicken keeping too and had exactly the same concerns! It took our hens about 3-4 days to venture out of their run when the door was opened for them! But each day they went a little further and now it's their garden too!

I was leaving posts on here, worried because I couldnt get them to perch - and after a month, still cant - they sleep in the same position every night, all three of them snuggled up together in the same nesting box! They lay their eggs in the other nesting box and they seem very happy with that arrangement so I leave them to it. Having said that, they will perch everywhere else - even on our washing line, but just not in their house! We remove all poops from the housing and run every day so they dont have to live in it.

And I am still (sounds awful but... ) keeping an eye on the poo's! I put it down to being a newbie and wanting to look after our new additions  

Happy chicken keeping!

Jenny

[inab]

Thank you Jenny,

I will just go with the flow , a bit like with the kids, and I'm sure you will hear of our first egg!

Ina