hi i have got 5 hens nw and thy will not got in the hut on a night they will lay inthe hut but the sleep on top or under the hut is ther any way i can get them to start to sleep in the hut or not when i got them i just let them into the pen just thinking should i of put them in the hut to start with just for a bit till they get used to it any help pleasssss
Shut them in tonight and dont let them out til Tuesday morning - they should then have found their homing instincts
thanks olive i will try it tomorow night now and let them out wednesday will let you know wat happens thanks
I deffinately agree with OO. Don't forget to make sure they have plenty of food and water in with them though!
My girls were really good when I first got them and they always put themselves to bed at dusk - All I need to do is to shut the pop hole and lock the cage doors!
Although they probably wont eat as it will be dark in there, but put it in anyway with the water - they will be fine as it isnt hot nor particularly cold either so will survive a day not eating or drinking. It SHOULD work so fingers crossed for naughty hens!
i tryed for agers to get them in but could not catch them mind you it was fun trying lol but will keep trying
LOL!
I find that mine respond nicely to being herded using 2 bamboo canes; just walk behind them and 'guide' them in. They will generally avoid the canes so you can close in on them and herd them in to the coop.
HTH
Expect to chase them in the first few nights till they get used to it. You may need 2 people initially.
Ensure there is a perch higher than the nest boxes in the shed. Once locked in - they will nest on it. The perch I have runs the width of the shed inside and is approximately 4 inches wide. It is above the nest boxes at a height of about 4-5ft. When I lock my hens up after dark, they are inside, all resting / sleeping on this perch. Every one of them.
It needs to be wide enough so when the hens rest - their body covers their feet. This is very important for cold nights of low temperatures.
thanks for the tip will try the cains i have a perch in but it only around 2 inch wide got told that was fine
our chucks just dont seem to perch they just sleep on the straw!