Hi advice for a newbie chicken owner pls

[natasha1000]

Hi all, we have only had the 3 girls since Sunday and will be extending their run on the weekend - they currently live in a large chicken house with a temporary run we made and attached and i leave the door open all day as i am home, but i have noticed the last 2 days they have been in the house quite a bit and are rarely coming out - it has started getting cold here now winter is coming - could it be to do with that? many thanks - they havent laid any eggs yet, but i understand they slow down during winter anyway.

Many thanks for any advice.

Natasha

 

[justbugged]

I am not sure why they are sitting in the coop during the day. Are they nesting in their boxes? If that is what is happening they could be broody. The cold shouldn't be much of a problem. Many of the members in Alaska don't heat their coops no matter how cold it gets. The hens will huddle together and create warmth to share. It is also possible that the girls are hiding, because there is a predator that is harassing them.

 

[justbugged]

Oh and

From the Soggy side of Washington State.

 

[natasha1000]

hi and thanks for yr reply - they are just sat on their perches - we dont have any predators around here, not what i know of anyway! our next door neighbours have 3 dogs which are constantly barking all day, maybe that is scaring them? they are a nuisance to be honest - we have an outdoor cat who doesnt even bother with him and we have dogs, but they cant get near the chickens as they have an area of garden they cant get down. maybe because we havent had them long and with next doors dogs barking all the time is scaring them. They have been out a few times since i have posted this thread - the area they are on is mud, but we are hoping to get some slabs so its not just mud for them.

 

[galanie]

A lot of times it just takes them time to get used to the new home. Many of them will stay in the coop and only gradually begin to wander a little farther away from it every day. The stupid dogs barking could for sure be one thing that's keeping them from wanting to explore.

 

[Animalian]

Quote:
x2
They will get used to the sound of dogs though. I got a hen from somewhere where she had never seen a dog before and she was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of my goldy when she first saw him. Like screaming, flapping and cracked her beak scared! He was 5m away on the other side of the run, all the rest of the hens were right next to him begging me for treats.

It has taken her a month but now she'll get within a metre of him when theres the run wire between them, and around 6m when she free ranges with him around. No panicing anymore though.

It's amusing watching her pacing so far away when the dog is chewing a bone with the rest of the hens RIGHT next to his face stealing bits of meat off it lol

I like to think she's thinking "they're over there, there's treats over there... they haven't died yet... should I risk it?!"

 

[Marcymom3]

You are probably right about the dogs' barking scaring your chickens. Like someone else said, they will get used to it. Mine are not the least bit afraid to my dog, but they run into their coop when my daughter's dog comes to visit. They also panic when my grandchildren come over. They can be pretty skittish. I guess that's hardwired into them for survival.

from Maryland!

 

[Ole rooster]

I'll go along with galanie on this one. I don't how a far off dog barking would upset um but getting used to new surroundings will take a little time. I've had mind going on 2 months and they have just started ranging off more than 60 feet from the coop. Some days they stay close, others they've really started roaming. But the hens follow the rooster. It's his fault. Give the girls a little more time to adjust. They do know where home is anyway.

 

[yankeedoodle300]

Quote:
x2
They will get used to the sound of dogs though. I got a hen from somewhere where she had never seen a dog before and she was ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED of my goldy when she first saw him. Like screaming, flapping and cracked her beak scared! He was 5m away on the other side of the run, all the rest of the hens were right next to him begging me for treats.

It has taken her a month but now she'll get within a metre of him when theres the run wire between them, and around 6m when she free ranges with him around. No panicing anymore though.

It's amusing watching her pacing so far away when the dog is chewing a bone with the rest of the hens RIGHT next to his face stealing bits of meat off it lol

I like to think she's thinking "they're over there, there's treats over there... they haven't died yet... should I risk it?!"

X 3

and A Big

 

[natasha1000]

thanks very much for your replies - you have put me at ease now! unforunately the 3 dogs next doors are outside most of the time, i think even 1 or 2 live out there, the neighbours are in all day and i dont know how they can put up with barking allday it would drive me nuts if my dogs were barking all day, but obviously they dont care about it or care about us neighbours! i will just give the new hens some time - when i do go near the house/run they do come out to see me, so as least they are not scared of me anyway.

thanks v much.