Help...

brianmscott

Hatching
Sep 20, 2020
6
5
6
Kings mountain nc usa
I am a new chicken raiser, I bought 18 pullets iso browns. first 6weeks I kept them in a very large box with a heat lamp then when they got big enough I moved them to a large pen totally enclosed with a hen house that is insulated with a light on 24 hrs a day and plenty of hay and roosting shelves. They are all doing good and at 6 mnths or so they began laying. so they lay eggs in henhouse, but at night they sleep in the enclosed pen. it is starting to get cold and then are still sleeping all together in pen, not the warm hen house. But they always lay in the hen house......suggestions???
 
Three main options:
-let them sleep in the run
-shut them in the henhouse for a few days with their food and water. This will train them that it is home. This is the most efficient method, but you have to make sure that their hen house is large enough and has enough ventilation. How big is the henhouse, in feet x feet?
-pick up each one and put it in the henhouse every night, and shut them in for the night. Chickens are creatures of habit, and will eventually do it on their own.
Pictures of your setup would help.
 
There should only be a light on 24 hrs a day when they are chicks. The 24 hour lighting should have been turned off months ago. They are sleeping outside because they want to be in the dark. You actually don't need any lighting in the summer, because the sun is up for a long time. Pick up each one and put her in the henhouse each evening (with the light off and it should be dark), and shut them in for the night. Eventually (it only takes a couple of days) they will go in at night themselves. Best of luck!
 
I will post pictures tomorrow the henhouse is 8x5, and the run is like 15x10, admittedly the henhouse is not have external ventilation it was a tack shed and a barn stall that was converted and the pen is chicken wired in. and usually 4 day a week the chickens get to free range, I will try turning off light and hand carrying them to hen house as it starts to get dark
 
Thank all of you for you fast replies and insight, I will try it all tomorrow.

so when I started I got 18 chicks 1 because I was worried they would not all live (which they did) and 2 because I did not believe they would all actually turn out to be female ( which they are) so now my family of 4 gets 15-18 eggs a day, I have been giving them away there are so many....but i feed them egg laying pellets (have 2 large feeders) and 3 5gallon water feeders and I give them scratch grains and let them free range. when I goto gather eggs I give them a large scoop of rice (they love it) I have been adding crushed oyster shells (kinda like powder) to their pellets, Any other suggestions to keep them healthy I am worried laying as much as they do they will lose to mucn calcium
 
I have been adding crushed oyster shells (kinda like powder) to their pellets,
The laying pellets should have plenty of calcium so not add more to the feed.
Keep some Oyster Shells in a separate small feeder to use as they need it.

Curious why you had the light on 24/7?
Is it a heat light or.....?
I hope you have some windows in the coop.
Looking forward to seeing pics.

Oh, and... Welcome to BYC! @brianmscott
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
1600690353859.png
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom