What a performance!

[MrsC]

Hi Guys

Hope you can give me an answer on this. For the past 7/10 days the same 2 girls are roosting on top of the hen house. You want to hear the noise they make when I put them in! I've checked everything inside and out, the girls are in good health and there is no shortage of room inside etc. Why on earth are they doing this? I put 1 in and have to shut the door while I get the other and then when I open the door to put the 2nd one in the 1st one tries to escape! It's a battle everynight!

[BUFFS]

hi guys

hope you can give me an answer on this. For the past 7/10 days the same 2 girls are roosting on top of the hen house. You want to hear the noise they make when i put them in! I've checked everything inside and out, the girls are in good health and there is no shortage of room inside etc. Why on earth are they doing this? I put 1 in and have to shut the door while i get the other and then when i open the door to put the 2nd one in the 1st one tries to escape! It's a battle everynight!

is it just two of the birds?,or have you got just the two?.it may be you have some lice chewing them at night..black/red..,if you can put birds elsewhere for a few days then heat up a pint of vinegar,as hot as possible,put it in a handsprayer (about a couple of quid from b&q) spray everywhere inside the coop,especially any corners or joints,leave for a couple of hours ,then use a paintstripper heat gun (carefully) and go over the whole coop,inside and out,again concentrating on corners,joints,overlaps etc.smells a bit but the birds soon ignore that and settle down.cheaper than the specific chemicals,but i find just as effctive.good luck,by the time i have typed this ,you will probably have had half a dozen solutions from the "experts",they are great, you can always rely on them to give you an answer

[MrsC]

Hi thanks for your reply Buffs. It's not mites, checked and double checked, they're 2 out of the 8 I have in that particular house/run. They're all well, still getting 4/5 eggs per day from the 8 girls in there, they look really well despite the weather. Thanks for the vinegar tip!

[Eco-Chic]

Mrs. C. are the two outdoor girls the same breed as the indoor girls? Just wondering if it is their breed preference to roost out.

Is the roost sufficiently ventilated? Snadger mentioned recently how hot it gets in the coop with all his girls. I've only the 3 hens but I leave the pop hole ajar so they come and go as they please (within the integral run). Always seems pleasantly warm when I pop down at night to check them.

[RedThorn]

is it completely dark when you put them in? with the shortening days, 1 or 2 of mine made use of the full day, only going in about 5 mins after total darkness

[Flummery]

We've found the same, Redthorn. One or two of ours would be found outside (we have an automatic opening/closing thing on the door.) We adjusted the mechanism to close when it was darker and they all go in ok. (I still check though, being a fussy mummy - but it's in the mornings you appreciate the opener!)

[Hilary B]

Could these 2 be bottom of the pecking order, and scared the others will pick on them in the confines of the house?
If they are a different breed, they might not 'fit in' too well when it is time for bed.

[MrsC]

Hi guys, it's pitch black when I go to check on them, thought about the light thing also, tried allsorts. If anything they seem top of the pecking order. The Bluebelle always roosted with the others and the other (Black Sussex) can't remember exactly name given when sold to me, like a White Sussex but opposite colours if you know what I mean has never roosted on the bar but has her own spot on the floor which no-one else dares to go sleep in. It's weird. Mr C battled with them tonight, you would not believe the performance, might have to block off the access to the top, but then they would probably go underneath and there is no way I would get them out. Pretty sure Mr Fox wouldn't get in but don't want to take a chance! Confused!

[Flummery]

In that case - they're just naughty! Ground 'em!

[MrsC]

Oh my word! Went to get the usual suspects back from the top of the hen house tonight. They heard me coming and all legged it out. It's pitch black, cold and 8pm at night! What the hell is going on? They were acting like it was 'time to run round the garden!' No mites, not hungry etc, what the hell are they playing at? Are they spoilt, maybe that's it, I don't know?????? Really need your help on this one please!

[Eco-Chic]

They think it's playtime.
Stop chasing them.
Get one of those camping lamps you wear on your head to light your way and then you have two hands and arms to wrestle them into the coop.

[HayleyB]

The wrong way round Sussex is a Magpie, we have one named Silver, boy can she be evil in her nest box, big girl too.

Anyway it may be worth getting them used to going in by bribe. To get our lot in the stable for bed they know that I'll be throwing some corn in - believe me they all fly after me as soon as they see me come out the feed room with the pink scoop their little legs going as fast as poss.

It's really handy at other times of the day too if I need to get them in when hay or straw is being delivered.

[Flummery]

I did read somewhere that if you put a torch inside the house for a few minutes as it's going dark they might go in towards the light. tThen when they're all in you take it out! Ha! Fooled ya! Worth a go? It was suggested for new chickens who weren't used to going into their new house but it can't hurt to try on your delinquents eh?

[MrsC]

The wrong way round Sussex is a Magpie, we have one named Silver, boy can she be evil in her nest box, big girl too.

Anyway it may be worth getting them used to going in by bribe. To get our lot in the stable for bed they know that I'll be throwing some corn in - believe me they all fly after me as soon as they see me come out the feed room with the pink scoop their little legs going as fast as poss.

It's really handy at other times of the day too if I need to get them in when hay or straw is being delivered.

Hi Hayley, thanks for clearing that up. Just googled some pics and that's her! She is the biggest of the lot! Understand the corn thingy, they follow me round all the time and I use corn to get them back in after free ranging in the garden.