Lazy chickens or not?

[T-lady]

Horray! - our 3 ladies joined us yesterday and they are SO cute. I'm in love already :-)

But, here's the first of my - no doubt - long list of questions ...

1. I thought that when we opened their ever-so comfy Eglu door this morning they'd be straight out and at their layers pellets but they weren't. Is this normal? Are chickens slow to get going in the morning (like teenagers) or is something wrong?

2. And - how waterproof are chickens? The Eglu run only has a scrap of material covering a smidge of it so when it rains they'll either have to pop back into the Eglu or get wet. Should this be worrying me?

Thanks in anticipation of some help ...

[MaureenHall]

First question - what time did you open the door for them? They go to bed at dusk (about 7.45 at the moment) and get up at dawn (about 6.30 at the moment). Also, as they're still "new" they might not know where the food is yet. Give them a day or two and they'll work out what's what.
Second question - chickens aren't waterproof, they're stupid, they'll stand out in the rain (unless it's really heavy rain) and get soaking wet, clucking at each other "I'm getting wet. Are you getting wet?". Can you give them an extra bit of shelter when it rains? Maybe chuck a tarpaulin or something over the run?
Hope this helps, and good luck with your chickens.
By the way, you do realise you'll get absolutely NO work done at home for the next few weeks? You'll be out there checking on them, talking to them and treating them at every opportunity

[T-lady]

Hi Maureen

We opened the door about 7.15 but they'd still not emerged when I left to come to work at 8.00. Is this too early for them? They found the feeders yesterday but I suppose that they take a while to learn stuff like that?

Good idea about the tarpaulin. Just have to think about how to secure it since we live in Lincolnshire and the wind whips over the flats like a daemon!


And you're dead right about getting nothing done. I had loads of stuff on my 'to do' list yesterday but mainly managed to sit a lot watching the girls and stopping the OH from feeding them yet more corn (and tomatoes, and caterpillars) etc.

[kirsty b]

I went down quite early one morning before work to put their food out and mine were all still roosting in the shed.
It was light enough for me, but obviously too early for them!! When I opened the door to check on them, a couple opened their eyes as if to say 'What?' but none of them moved.

[MaureenHall]

They'll get used to things soon I'm sure. As long as you open the coop for them early and have fresh water and food for them they'll be ok. Just a thought, perhaps take their food away about an hour before dusk so they go to bed hungry?

[T-lady]

They've been a bit more lively this morning - Jenny Hen and Clarie Hen pretty much came straight out, just Lily'en stayed in bed looking a bit grumpy at being disturbed.

I'll monitor their food consumption today - I'm not sure that they've eaten enough the past two days but I suppose it has been a period of transition / new pellet type. I certainly daren't take their food away early at the moment but I can see how it goes!

[frias]

I wake up about 7am and the first thing I do is let the girls out. They can't get out quick enough. I think they would like to be out earlier but I don't. Seriously thinking about an automatic opener.

[Ashbylife]

Ours were very good at going to bed at night but it took them about 4 days before they got the hang of getting up in the morning - the first couple of days they were still in bed mid morning and we had to physically move them out into the run.

[T-lady]

Better again this morning - apart from Lily'en who really does seem to like a lie-in.

Still struggling with food though. Yesterday they only ate 100gm of pellets between them and the book says they should be on about 125gm each. Any ideas how long chickens can go on minimum rations? What should I do?

[MaureenHall]

I'm sure if they're hungry, they'll eat. Have you tried them with a bit of "comfort food"? Make a warm mash with layers pellets and warm water and add some (not too much) treats in it, such as cut up grapes, tomatoes etc

[T-lady]

I tried them with something I'd read on the Eglu site - a piece of bread soaked in milk with porridge oats on top. I don't think they liked the milk and kept wiping their beaks! They didn't eat much of it really.

So I can just soak the layers pellets in water and call that mash then? I'll try it tonight and let you know. Thanks Maureen.

[Becca]

seems to depend on the weather with mine.. on a nice sunny day they want to be up and at em and are shoutinmg for me to come get em.. :P on a cloudy dull day they sometimes stumble out like grumpy teens.. as long as they seem basically chirpy once they're out then i wouldn't worry too much.. you'll soon learn what's typical for each hen and what might indicate they're feeling below par..

[MaureenHall]

Yep, exactly that I sometimes cook some extra potatoes and mash that in as well