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AussieDan

AussieDan

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Feb 27, 2015
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Hi there I'm new to this site, got some awesome tips!!! Thanks!
I have a question I hope to get some advice on.
I have never kept chickens before but as you can see in my pic I built a cubby house for my 3 young girls I gave them a choice, sand pit under the cubby or chickens, guess what they picked??!!
So I did my research ( mostly here ) and thought bugger it!! Lets have a go!!
We decided to get week olds ( already sexed) so the kids could learn to look after them as well.
I have 7 pullets coming up to laying age but they don't go into their house at night, I know they go in there sometimes because there is feathers and poo in there, they prefer to spend the night huddled together outside next to the gate?? I have tried to lock them in the house every night for a while but they still insist on sleeping under the stars. I have nesting boxes in the house it's dry and cosy should I be worried??
Cheers
Aussiedan
 
AussieDan said:
Hi there I'm new to this site, got some awesome tips!!! Thanks!
I have a question I hope to get some advice on.
I have never kept chickens before but as you can see in my pic I built a cubby house for my 3 young girls I gave them a choice, sand pit under the cubby or chickens, guess what they picked??!!
So I did my research ( mostly here ) and thought bugger it!! Lets have a go!!
We decided to get week olds ( already sexed) so the kids could learn to look after them as well.
I have 7 pullets coming up to laying age but they don't go into their house at night, I know they go in there sometimes because there is feathers and poo in there, they prefer to spend the night huddled together outside next to the gate?? I have tried to lock them in the house every night for a while but they still insist on sleeping under the stars. I have nesting boxes in the house it's dry and cosy should I be worried??
Cheers
Aussiedan
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welcome-byc.gif
Glad you have joined us.

If you could post pictures of the inside it may help with some answers.
Do you have roosts in the house? How much space is there? Is there ventilation?
 
G'day to you Dan and Welcome to Backyard chickens. Glad you joined the flock? There is danger to allowing them to be outside at night, they are 'sitting ducks' for predators who will get an easy meal. You might try adding golf balls or fake eggs to the nest boxes, so your girls get the idea that is where they should lay eggs. Maybe when they start spending more time inside, they will get to like the coop.
 
BTW BYC has a dandy aussie thread called "Australia - six states and one funny little Island." , and a large Aussie community - always room for more.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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I'm glad you joined us.

You may need to lock them inside the coop for a few days, so that they know to go in there at night. As long as the run is predator protected, it won't hurt them to be outside. But, when it gets colder, they will be happier sitting inside a draft-free coop than outside on a windy night.
 

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