New Hens - is there a problem?

[yoanbob]

hi TP dont worry about your new ladies sounds like they were kept inside and cramped, they will ajust but it wont be overnight.
to get them used to the perch, wait till they are sleepy inside and pop them on, it takes a few goes but usually works, there will still be days when they prefer the floor but they will at least have a choice.

[TPeers]

Thanks, I took one side of the rain cover off this morning and the leghorn was instantly running up and down the side peering out, the araucana was a little slower off the mark, but I would say a notable improvement!

[TPeers]

I put the two new hens into the hen house last night - this morning the somme started!

the two hybrids are attacking the two new girls to the extent that one is hiding in the house and won't come out!

The other is ok-ish, being chased etc... but manageing to get some food and so on.

At what point should I give up and take the birds out?

[TPeers]

Well, they have all go up to roost. 'Hettie' is probably hiding in the nest box - I know she was ok at about 6:30 'cause I went and found her and gave her a cuddle, she seemed to quite like it...

Rosemary, who sounds like an underdone foghorn, was last up a couple of minutes ago.

So... all quite on the western front tonight..... I hope!

Terry

[daisychook]

Hi Terry

Hope you are OK, its all a bit of a lark this chook keeping isnt it! One minute all is well the next all hell breaks loose!!!

I am sure they will all settle, when we got our new one Flora (a copper blue maran), our Marge (who were art being picked on!) decided to bully her!!

You end up banging your head against the fence dont you!!

Hope its all OK!!

Tracey

[TPeers]

Thanks Tracey,

I'm just coming to the conclusion that the bloke saw me coming! I'm not sure that Hettie is the 18 weeks he claimed (19 now) I suspect it is more like 14 weeks. I know Araucanas are a small breed, sometimes called large Bantams but even so she is so small compared to the others.....

Ah well, live and learn.

Terry

[DirtDobber]

It always takes a bit of time for new ladies to settle in and/or be allowed to do so....I am sure it will not be long at all before they are bosom buddies....I am dying to get some Ladies of my own...I live in the country on 5 acres but I have to get a pen/coop set up before I can do anything about getting some..

[TPeers]

Thanks DirtDobber,

You have a few breeds out there that we don't gererally see I understand. What is the favoured hen for the average backyard keeper?

Do you have any particular favorites?

Lucky you with 5 acres, even if they are hilly ones! I calculated the garden here a while ago, I think the plot from front gate to back hedge was 1/8th of an acre. It's enough for me, a 100' x 50' back garden is considered large here. The average suburban garden is 80' x 30', and getting smaller!

Terry

[CountryFayre]

birds naturally perch to get out of the way of draughts and predators. If they are not wanting to perch then this really is not a problem, so don't worry about it.

Some birds also get stressed when they are moved from one home to another and can take a fair amount of time to settle down.

With regards to those of you wanting wood / chicken houses etc. There is a wonderful network called freecycle on the web with branches allocated to most towns. There are often offers of timber or second hand sheds on some of these sites. The only catch is that you have to offer something for free before you can post a wanted. However you can accept offered goods before posting. - worth a look

[yoanbob]

free cycle is brill, your girls will take about 6 weeks on average in my experience to settle, its rare you have a problem after that, i would try and teach newbies how to perch, it works 9 times out of ten and gives them a choice.

[TPeers]

One of them - Kentucky - has fitted right in, she will perch if she has no straw to settle in but prefers the straw lined nest box....

She has also laid her first egg today! On the floor of the house, somewhat muddy and stepped on and slightly cracked because of this - but a lovely small white egg!

It is little Kiev who is taking time, she is so much younger and so much smaller I think it will take several weeks before she feels brave enough to come down and face the others. Still I will keep on providing her food and water in the house as that is I think preferable to either taking her out entirely or forcing her down with the others who attack her on sight!

At least they share the same smells and so on and roost in the same construction! I won't go as far as 'together'!

Terry

[Madasafish]

You can build perfectly decent houses and runs from pallets...(I have just built one for quails)

See http://www.pekinbantams.com/broody_coop_1.asp

I based mine on the above .. modified using surplus materials.. Total cost around £12.. mainly sealant and preservative - used nails from pallets and surplus wire netting...