Chickens not acting like chickens

[dennisma1]

Hello, first-time chicken owner here, but I have been lurking on this forum for years now. About a week and a half ago I finally got my first three chickens. They are laying hens from a caged farm. I thought they were white leghorns, but I guess they are Babcock hens (https://www.babcock-poultry.com/babcock-home/product/white/). I brought them home in a dog crate, which they didn't want to leave when I opened it in the run. Then I had to bring them into the coop at night as all they wanted to do was huddle together in a corner. For the first few nights, they didn't go up on the roost bar and just slept on the floor. Now they use the roost bar at night but still refuse to go out to the run. They spend all day in the coop. If I put them put, they go right in unless I close the pop door. They stand by the pop door until I open it. They don't eat any treats, nor show any interest in scratching around in the dirt. This weekend I tried to force the issue by putting their food and water outside. Turns out they would rather stave. They ate a little when I locked them outside, but other than that it was in the coop and not eating. I finally relented tonight and put another feeder in the coop. They went to town eating as soon as I put it in. Oh, they are also super skittish and are terrified of me.

Will they start acting normal someday? Or did I waste my money building a run?

I hope your chickens enjoy their new life. Once your chickens associate you with tasty treats they will come running . Catching them is another story.. I've had chickens act terrified of me when I raised them from chicks.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I hope your chickens enjoy their new life. Once your chickens associate you with tasty treats they will come running . Catching them is another story.. I've had chickens act terrified of me when I raised them from chicks.

Good point! If you need to handle your hens, the best way to do it is go into the coop after they have roosted in the evening. Keep it as dark as possible and try not to disturb them. I wear a little head lamp to keep my hands free and sometimes flip it inward so I just have a little glow. A flashlight with a red light option works well, too. Chasing them during the day on a hot summer day can result in dead birds .

 

[canne50]

Hello, first-time chicken owner here, but I have been lurking on this forum for years now. About a week and a half ago I finally got my first three chickens. They are laying hens from a caged farm. I thought they were white leghorns, but I guess they are Babcock hens (https://www.babcock-poultry.com/babcock-home/product/white/). I brought them home in a dog crate, which they didn't want to leave when I opened it in the run. Then I had to bring them into the coop at night as all they wanted to do was huddle together in a corner. For the first few nights, they didn't go up on the roost bar and just slept on the floor. Now they use the roost bar at night but still refuse to go out to the run. They spend all day in the coop. If I put them put, they go right in unless I close the pop door. They stand by the pop door until I open it. They don't eat any treats, nor show any interest in scratching around in the dirt. This weekend I tried to force the issue by putting their food and water outside. Turns out they would rather stave. They ate a little when I locked them outside, but other than that it was in the coop and not eating. I finally relented tonight and put another feeder in the coop. They went to town eating as soon as I put it in. Oh, they are also super skittish and are terrified of me.

Will they start acting normal someday? Or did I waste my money building a run?

Sweetie, you did not waste your money! It just takes time…
Treats? I use a small tin trash an for our mealworms. Anytime the chickens hear that lid rattle, they start talking!
Yours just need a little more time…a peaceful place away from any kind of noises other than what they experienced in their prison cages.
I’d put their food and water outside the coop right in front of the door so they don’t have to go out side to eat or drink, but to get them used to having to walk to the door to eat. Brace some 3’ wide or so plywood right up against their food and water. Use 3’ long pieces for the sides but keep the space tight at first. Looking down from above it would resemble an H with the cross piece up high.
After a few days leave the food in the same place, back the cross bar of the H about 6” and brace all the plywood again. Next, after a few days of letting them become used to or feeling safe, move their food a few inches out from the pop door. Alternate these modifications after they go inside and the pop door is closed in the evening or before they see the pop door rise in the am. Be quiet as you rearrange the size of their ‘new safe feeling” area outside the coop. This should take a couple of weeks to get them to eat outside in the 3x3 area which ha become a large “U” with a squared not rounded bottom, and actually walk through the pop door without running back inside. Make sure children or other pets stay away unless they can be quiet and not make loud noises or voices near the coop.
Restrict your own interaction with them until you can set a stool outside and let them hear you read aloud in a normal voice. As they become accustomed to your voice, you can slowly begin to reach into their little space with some meal worms in your hand. Be sure not to reach over them. They are very fearful of overhead attacks as a natural response.When a wild bird overflies our run, Domino the roo makes a very specific warning sound and the hens become quiet and very still. If he repeats and begins herding them into their chicken house they squawkingly run to safety. This is natural behavior. Always approach, lean, or reach out from the side of the chicken. I have a special sound I use before I ever speak to my hens. They know to expect me when I make that sound and they won’t be startled. They can recognize about 200 individuals or other chickens.
Try a few mealworms on top of their feed- only a few like 10 to 12 worms total be sure to place them on the backside of the feeder so they have to search for more. Once they are aware of how good they taste, they will be more willing over time to make the trip outside and into their improvised tiny run. Once you see they’ve begun eating them drop to or three near the feeder as they begin to eat these, too, you put them a few inches further away from the feeder on the ground.
Baby steps are the best way to help an ‘instutionalized’ flock or individual hen.
I hope you aren’t offended by my detailed response, it’s my psych trait.
I don’t know when to shut up!
Best to you!
Regards…

 

[SubArcticFowl]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I think I will just make sure their needs are provided for and give them time. Last night around 10:30 I was out and was going to close the pop door. I ended up chatting with the neighbor and she put her noisy dogs inside. Then when I went to close up two of the three chickens popped out, did a walkabout, and then went back in. So, baby steps.

FYI - It doesn't get dark at all at night right now where I live, by the way. The sun goes down for a few hours, but it is still very light and you can see fine.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I think I will just make sure their needs are provided for and give them time. Last night around 10:30 I was out and was going to close the pop door. I ended up chatting with the neighbor and she put her noisy dogs inside. Then when I went to close up two of the three chickens popped out, did a walkabout, and then went back in. So, baby steps.

FYI - It doesn't get dark at all at night right now where I live, by the way. The sun goes down for a few hours, but it is still very light and you can see fine.

Oh, that will definitely be a factor! Let's see if @Alaskan has any suggestions.

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, that will definitely be a factor! Let's see if @Alaskan has any suggestions.

Thanks for thinking of me.

I haven't ever had ex-batts.

However, first year chicks that were incubator raised have issues with the light... silly things can never figure out when they are supposed to be sleeping.

If raised with a mama hen, or the second summer... they all do just fine and go to bed between 9 and 10, even when it is still bright out.

I would guess your ex-battery hens will have the same trouble figuring out all of this extra daylight as my incubator raised chicks.

 

[dennisma1]

Your poor hens I'm sure are stressed from their shock. What a wonderful life you are giving them but it's it's lot to take in. I'm sure they will come around. Keep us posted!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

A few years ago i researched the idea of rescuing ex-battery hens, but kept running into dead ends. It seems easy to do in great britain and australia, but in u.s. not so much. @SubArcticFowl , i see you are in canada. How did you aquire yours?

Discovering your thread today caused me to remember a video i saw on youtube back then. I couldnt figure out how to paste the video onto your thread today. The title of the video is "Ex Battery Hens First Moments of Freedom" It is a 5 minute video of 3 red-sex links named Queenie, Belle and Ruby, set to the song "Fix You" by Coldplay. It is a beautiful and touching video, and i think would be appropriate to post on this thread if anyone wants to do so.

Kudos to you for giving your battery hens a second chance to know a good life. And if anyone knows how to go about aquiring ex battery hens in the U.S., i sure would appreciate it!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A few years ago i researched the idea of rescuing ex-battery hens, but kept running into dead ends. It seems easy to do in great britain and australia, but in u.s. not so much. @SubArcticFowl , i see you are in canada. How did you aquire yours?

Discovering your thread today caused me to remember a video i saw on youtube back then. I couldnt figure out how to paste the video onto your thread today. The title of the video is "Ex Battery Hens First Moments of Freedom" It is a 5 minute video of 3 red-sex links named Queenie, Belle and Ruby, set to the song "Fix You" by Coldplay. It is a beautiful and touching video, and i think would be appropriate to post on this thread if anyone wants to do so.

Kudos to you for giving your battery hens a second chance to know a good life. And if anyone knows how to go about aquiring ex battery hens in the U.S., i sure would appreciate it!

To post a video, first upload it to a host site such as YouTube. Then copy and paste the link here.

Many years ago I got some battery hens out of Bayfield or Durango, CO, but I don't remember how that happened. Friend of a friend contact maybe? I'm sorry, I'm useless. Maybe they posted an ad.

 

[SubArcticFowl]

A few years ago i researched the idea of rescuing ex-battery hens, but kept running into dead ends. It seems easy to do in great britain and australia, but in u.s. not so much. @SubArcticFowl , i see you are in canada. How did you aquire yours?

Discovering your thread today caused me to remember a video i saw on youtube back then. I couldnt figure out how to paste the video onto your thread today. The title of the video is "Ex Battery Hens First Moments of Freedom" It is a 5 minute video of 3 red-sex links named Queenie, Belle and Ruby, set to the song "Fix You" by Coldplay. It is a beautiful and touching video, and i think would be appropriate to post on this thread if anyone wants to do so.

Kudos to you for giving your battery hens a second chance to know a good life. And if anyone knows how to go about aquiring ex battery hens in the U.S., i sure would appreciate it!

You give me too much credit. I don't want to pretend like I had a strong altruistic motive here. I wanted chickens. Starting with three laying hens seemed like an easy in. I heard that someone would bring in a bunch from a farm 5 hours to the south of me each spring and I got on a list through a friend of a friend. It is not a rescue operation, but more of an extension of their business.

That being said, I am going to care for my chickens to the best of my ability. I'm told they popped their head outside a bit again today. So the process is happening. Thanks again for everyone's advice.