[beulah59]

WE brought our ex-batts home on Monday. Yesterday we had three eggs, and I know one of them was from Bobby. She spent most of the morning up in the chicken loft, even after she laid, so because there isn't any food up there, I lifted her down and she then spent the rest of the day with the others.

Today, she didn't come down at all to start with, so after a couple of hours and no egg, I lifted her down. She stayed down about an hour, then went back up and laid an egg. But again she didn't come down afterwards, so I lifted her down, but this time she went straight back up and has stayed there ever since! There is a little food up in the loft because I fed them up there on the first day and they spilt some ... but I'm concerned that she's simply not eating enough and there's no water up there either. There is something in her crop, but it's not full.

Should I be worried?!

[SMD66]

the bit I know about ex-bats is that they have weak muscles from being caged, could it be that she's having trouble getting down the ramp?
in the mean time could you put food and water in there for her till she builds up a bit?

[beulah59]

I would have thought so except that when I lifted her down the second time she went straight back up again!

I've just been out, lifted her down again (third time) and this time I've raised the ramp - for now she seems content to be with the others, but I can't see from the house whether she's feeding much or not ...

[AmandaH]

My ex-batts had trouble going up the ramp more than coming down!

What does a chicken "loft" look like?  Apologies for my ignorance in the world of chicken housing!    I just wondered whether she had to go "up" to be indoors and therefore feel safe or whether up was just into the nest box.  I have had my ex-batts a month now and, although I open the door to the house about half six, it could be half nine or ten before one of mine finally plucks up the courage to come out.  

I wouldn't be worried, as such - everything has been a huge change for them in the last couple of days and I am sure she is still adjusting.  

If it was me, I think I would leave her alone in the mornings, to let her (and the others) do any egg stuff they need to, but turf her out mid-afternoon and shut the door so she can't get back in.  Does the house open out into a run that she can feel safe in?

It is tempting to put food in the house but it sets a precedent and then she might never come out!  I thought about it for our nervous girl, but figured she'd come out when she got hungry.  And she did.

I don't envy you these first few days - it's nervewracking worrying about them!

[Kate and her Ducks]

From what I understand (no first hand experience of chickens nevermind ex Batts) is that the life they had and the shock of the move can take an enormous amount out of them. Sometimes it taked them a while to get used to the change and sometimes thay just don't have the reserves of energy to adapt and don't make it. It is still really early days though and I imagine that the the coop and nest box feel safe and familiar and maybe it is just taking her a little longer to get used to things than her sisters.
I would just make sure that they have food and water available at all times and try to minimise any stress.

[beulah59]

I have an ark, so the loft is the bit upstairs where they roost and have their nest box (a banana box from the supermarket full of shredded paper and straw! Easy to throw away regularly rather than have to clean it out )

I've since lifted her down and raised the ramp ... she's now up the other end with the others, feeding for England!

[AmandaH]

Oh, well done Beulah.  I'd go out and sit with them, if you can spare the time (and if it's not p'ing down with rain where you are!).  It certainly helps them get used to you.  I didn't sit with mine as much as some on here (I actually think dizzylizzy pretty much moved in with hers) but the more time you spend with them, the more quickly they learn that you are friend not foe and the quicker they settle down.

Thank you for the ark explanation - I just wasn't sure how far was "up"!  

I worried constantly when we brought ours home so I know how you feel.  I was always going out and checking on them, whilst at the same time worrying that I mustn't stress them and thinking I should just leave them be to settle in. 

However, settle in they do - looking at one of mine out of the window at the moment - she's working her way up the flowerbed digging for worms looking for all the world like she's always lived here! 

Try not to worry tooooooo much - there's always someone here to help (as I discovered!)

[beulah59]

Sadly, it's pouring down just now!!  Nevertheless, we've been in and out to them, and when it's dry and we're there they seem to like the company ... Gertrude clucks away to you and follows you up and down the run (I think she may become rather possessive!)

[AmandaH]

It's lovely though, isn't it?  That they adopt you so quickly and trust you.  I don't want to sound twee (but I'm going to) but you want them to know that they can trust you and, for the first time in their sad lives, someone actually wants to give them what's best for them and care for them...  

Anyway, enough of that or I'll start crying.  

I see you were sensible enough to put leg rings on them - we did that too.  The first few days after they arrived, there was ALWAYS a hen with it's beak in the feeder and we were worried that it was always the same one - that we were going to end up with three skinny chooks and one small feathered football.  So we put the rings on so we could check everyone was eating!  Very useful, those rings...

If you want to give them a treat, get them some mealworms.  Just those ones you get at the garden centre for wild birds.  Mine chase me round the garden if I appear shaking the tub they come in!  

Good luck with them Beulah - there will be times when you go "Why did I do this?  What was I thinking?" but there will be moments that make it all worth it!  Like when you stand in chook poo and don't realise and tread it into the carpet...

[Flowerpower136]

We've had our 8 for one month too.  Any they are just great.  And getting so cheeky

Nell, the smallest one has now discovered my hair, don't know what she thinks it is.......? thin worms, nesting material???  Anyway when I'm bending to pick up poo, she grabs a beakful.

I've only one, Pearl, who is still a little nervous of me, and won't feed from my hand, but the others quite literally just walk all over me

Hours and hours and hours of fun.  And we've just put an opaque roof over the run so I can enjoy it in the rain too!

[dizzylizzie]

Oh, well done Beulah.  I'd go out and sit with them, if you can spare the time (and if it's not p'ing down with rain where you are!).  It certainly helps them get used to you.  I didn't sit with mine as much as some on here (I actually think dizzylizzy pretty much moved in with hers) but the more time you spend with them, the more quickly they learn that you are friend not foe and the quicker they settle down.

Lol...i think we did pretty much move in with them, but we have 6 beautiful girls now who re all feeding, gaining weight, growing beautiful new feathers, they know their names, they come in the house, they are soooo friendly and tame. they jump up on our knee, and run up to us when we go out  side! they are so funny and clever...ow i just love my girls .  i think if you can spend time with them, only good can come of it. i wanted them tame partly so i could love/hug them , but more so i could handle them to check them over, and look for lice, check crops etc. if they are usedto being handled then any care they need will not be as stressful for them, and if they need help with feeding/drinking, they will trust you and more likely to respond better. Like most things...what you put in is what you get back. Have funxx

[dizzylizzie]

sorry, me again, can i just say that the more you sit with them, the more you will get to know each chiken and you will get to know what their personality is like. you will then be able to spot quicker if one isnt right, or behaving differently. As chickens hide illness very well, the quicker you realise they are not well, the better it will be for them . good luck with them , hope you ave as much fun as we have had

[Callys Rainbow]

Hi there! I've not yet got my chickens I'm trying to learn as much as possible 1st and this site is great!! But I've seen quite a few times their crop has been mentioned could you please tell me what this is and what are the problems etc they have?? Gayl xx

[beulah59]

Gayl, the crop is where they store the food they gather during the day, to digest at night. By evening, it feels like a soft, grainy lump on the right of their chest.

[AmandaH]

Hey Gayl.  There are lots of chook books on the market and I am now building quite a collection but the first one I got was Keeping Pet Chickens by Johannes Paul and William Windham.  It's an absolutely basic guide and you'll probably need more but I found it a great starting point - full of photos and great diagrams and covers stuff that I (as an absolute beginner) needed to know but that other books don't talk about as they assume you know - like chicken anatomy, daily routines, eggs and how they're made, how to handle chickens...  It also has great pictures of some of the most popular breeds.  Very useful to get the absolute basics...