Hi,
I've got 5 ISA Browns that I've had for 2 years now. They have a large hen house and run, but they free range during the day. I've got 5 acres that they roam about on and they also visit the neighbour's property. I lock them up at night as we do have foxes in the area.
We lost one girl just before Christmas (egg bound and I was unable to help her). We lost another one last week (unknown reason, but probably egg bound too).
After the first chook died the egg count went from 4-6 per day to 1-2. That's now 1 since the other died. It's been summer with temperatures in the 30's to low 40's (Celsius of course).
Now I have one chicken that didn't return to the coop at night a few days back. She was at the door in the morning, but looking a bit puffy. Towards the afternoon she was barely moving about, hunched over. I caught her and have her a warm bath (assuming she was egg bound - no egg that day). I put her in a nest box to rest. Later she had left the box and was on the ground. I watched her and when I moved towards her she moved to the water station and had a drink. I made sure she was in the roost that night.
The next day she stayed close to the coop, but was moving about better. I put her in the roost that night.
Since then she has perked back up, but she isn't returning to the roost at night. She is often on her own and I've seen one of the others having a peck at her. The one that did has lost quite a few feathers prior to this. Two others pecked this one after she had a go at my lonely girl.
Sorry about the long story, but I thought it might help having some background. I need to find a way to get her to return to the coop at night or a fox will get her. She's been sleeping in the wood pile just outside the hen house, so she's returning to the area, but won't go in.
Hoping someone out there might have some suggestions to help.
Thanks.
I've got 5 ISA Browns that I've had for 2 years now. They have a large hen house and run, but they free range during the day. I've got 5 acres that they roam about on and they also visit the neighbour's property. I lock them up at night as we do have foxes in the area.
We lost one girl just before Christmas (egg bound and I was unable to help her). We lost another one last week (unknown reason, but probably egg bound too).
After the first chook died the egg count went from 4-6 per day to 1-2. That's now 1 since the other died. It's been summer with temperatures in the 30's to low 40's (Celsius of course).
Now I have one chicken that didn't return to the coop at night a few days back. She was at the door in the morning, but looking a bit puffy. Towards the afternoon she was barely moving about, hunched over. I caught her and have her a warm bath (assuming she was egg bound - no egg that day). I put her in a nest box to rest. Later she had left the box and was on the ground. I watched her and when I moved towards her she moved to the water station and had a drink. I made sure she was in the roost that night.
The next day she stayed close to the coop, but was moving about better. I put her in the roost that night.
Since then she has perked back up, but she isn't returning to the roost at night. She is often on her own and I've seen one of the others having a peck at her. The one that did has lost quite a few feathers prior to this. Two others pecked this one after she had a go at my lonely girl.
Sorry about the long story, but I thought it might help having some background. I need to find a way to get her to return to the coop at night or a fox will get her. She's been sleeping in the wood pile just outside the hen house, so she's returning to the area, but won't go in.
Hoping someone out there might have some suggestions to help.
Thanks.
