New to this!

[Daffodilly]

Hi. Just joined your site as looks very friendly, good advice given etc :-) I am really new to keeping chickens. Just got my first coop and 3 hens on Saturday. I'm absolutely loving it but have a question for you! I have just been reading a thread about a hen having her tail down. Turned out she was 'very' poorly :-( so can you tell me...should I ever see a hen with her tail down? I've watched mine constantly since having them and 95% of the time all tails are up and they are scratching round the garden. But just occasionally I see a tail go down... Is this ok? I looked in on them tonight in their house and whilst on their perches they were low down to the perch and their tails looked to be down. Any thoughts?

[baldrick]

Mine put their heads and tails down when they are roosting if thats any help?

[Suechooks]

Hello and welcome to chookaholics! Your girls will have tails down when perching - no worries!
Poorly hens look really hunched up and usually stand alone in a corner with tail down. You'll find you get to know your own hens just by observing them. They do have occasional "off days" just like us.
Don't worry too much about them just enjoy having them about - its great and you'll wonder why you didn't take the plunge before!

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi there and welcome - great place for hen advice and Suechooks and Richmond Hens have regularly helped and assured me with my ladeez. I too was petrified, as nervous as a new mother but you soon settle into knowing them and their little traits/personalities. I love mine now and wished I had kept hens earlier. I love faffing around after them, talking to them and watching their antics.
Good to have you on board.

[chris]

Welcome to the forum!

[Glutton4...]

Hello and a warm welcome to the madhouse!

I started with 8 Ex-Batts, about 3 years ago - no idea how many I have at the moment!

[frias]

Hello Daffodilly and welcome. I hope you have a large coop and run. This chook keeping is very addictive and before long you'll be wanting to add to your 3.

[petal]

Bet you end up getting more and more and more..........Like me! yes don't you worry about their tails at night- they are relaxing!

[angelat]

hi daffodilly,

welcome to the forum. fantastic group of people on here with loads of chicken knowledge so anytime you are worried come on here as there is sure to be someone who can help. i have kept hens for 3 years now and this forum was a great source of support when i started as i was a newby too. its a lovely hobby though and its nice enjoying the chickens through all the different seasons i find.

enjoy!

angela t

[Newtothis]

Hi

Welcome to the forum. We all start out being 'New to this', but some of us never learn. Always something new to know, and a great helpful bunch on here.
Have fun chook keeping and enjoy thier antics.

David

[pauco]

Hi Daffodilly, welcome to the Vine from me too.


paul.

[Daffodilly]

Ah thanks everybody - another quick question!!

Thanks everybody for your warm welcome and great advice, very reassuring! Another quick question..the chickens seem great at doing what they are supposed to do, ie, going home when it gets dark (I thought this was great, I am only used to keeping rabbits for the children and used to trying to catch them when it was time to go to bed) couldnt believe it when it got dusk and they all went back to their coop and put themselves to bed! Why dont more people have chickens as pets - theyre superb!! But one thing is....only one of my hens is old enough to lay yet, the other two are just slightly younger (couple of weeks) she has given me two eggs since Ive had her (last Saturday) but why doesnt she use the nesting box? Is it usual that they just drop it anywhere? The two i have had so far were just on the grass in the garden (out of the coop) is this normal? should I encourage her to use the nest box? if so, how? When we built our coop it didnt have perches, so we've made some in their house. The first night, I went out to shut their door after theyd gone to bed and they were still on the floor of the house, so I gently lifted them onto the perches and they always go on them now, so they seem to cotton-on pretty quick! Ah loving them! theyre great xx

[elizajay]

You can buy fake eggs or just use golf balls and put them in the next box to show her where to go.

[Newtothis]

Is the nest box lower than the perch and in a darker bit of the coop? My girls were laying everywhere but the nest until I made the box a bit more private. Now they almost always lay there.
I find talking to them helps.....

[chris]

I still get the odd egg laid right in front of my greenhouse door.. bit annoying as I've stepped in it countless times! No idea why, but its always a huge egg