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klyra

klyra

In the Brooder
5 Years
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Hi all! I'm Klyra!

I've been reading here for weeks and finally decided to register. I have three Leghorn hens in the backyard. They were hatched in June 2014 so at the time of writing they're about 9 weeks old. We have an enclosed backyard and a coop that they live in. Lately they have been trying to roost in the trees instead of their coop which means trying to search for them in the dark and carrying them back to the coop. A friend suggested grounding them in the coop for 4-5 days and getting a light in there for them, which I will do and hopefully they will relax and think of the coop as home again!

Another thing I'm seeing is that they are hanging out in the nesting boxes. I read somewhere that I should dissuade them from doing this until they're laying, but I don't know how to do that. Any ideas? Or any additional ideas on coop training them that I haven't already listed?

Thanks for the wealth of information you guys have already posted. I've enjoyed learning from everything I've read here!!

700


700
 
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Yes, if they are sleeping in the boxes, you need to block them off at night. You can stuff a towel in there or anything really. Just something to keep them out. Then open the boxes up during the day. A week or so of this and they should stop sleeping in the boxes. Go up at night and place them on the roost bars too. This will help them understand what you want them to do. I like to keep fake eggs in the boxes at all times. This will help teach them where you want them to lay and will encourage them to lay in all boxes instead of just one.

Cute flock you have!! Enjoy them and welcome to ours!
 
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sourland said:
I believe that your hens are red sex links rather than leghorns.  They will be great producers of brown eggs.
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Thanks!! I have been questioning the breed as well. I was told they were Miller browns.. And somewhere I got leghorns. But I'm seriously confused. They might even be cats for all I know. :lau
 
Thanks!!! Don't think they're sleeping in the boxes but they do wander through them and poop there (along with everywhere else of course). Is that something I should discourage or justlet them be?
 
TwoCrows said:
Yes, if they are sleeping in the boxes, you need to block them off at night. You can stuff a towel in there or anything really. Just something to keep them out. Then open the boxes up during the day. A week or so of this and they should stop sleeping in the boxes. Go up at night and place them on the roost bars too. This will help them understand what you want them to do. I like to keep fake eggs in the boxes at all times. This will help teach them where you want them to lay and will encourage them to lay in all boxes instead of just one.
Click to expand...

Thanks!!! Don't think they're sleeping in the boxes but they do wander through them and poop there (along with everywhere else of course). Is that something I should discourage or just let them be?
 
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Glad you joined us!

Feel free to ask plenty of questions! We're all here to help.
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Your red birds are Red Sex-Links. They should be excellent layers of large brown eggs for your family!
 

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