Housebound

[Apsrn]

Hello
My girls have not been laying. Two of them are molting (wow they look funny). But the other three don’t seem to be. My question is why do they stay in their coop. They’ll literally come out to get fed and when they are done they go back in. Their coop/run is winterized and has good ventilation. Both are cleaned daily. They always have fresh food and water. Is this common for them to stay in. They didn’t do that last winter. Should I be concerned? Thank you for any advice. They are pets as well as my egg
providers. So I want what’s best for them

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

All 5 stay in the henhouse or just the ones molting? I have a hen just getting in her feathers after going through a hard molt and she stayed in the henhouse most of the day.

 

[Apsrn]

All 5 come out to eat and all 5 go back in. They look good. Other than my two who are molting. As a matter of fact my black sex link already has her feathers growing back. My Wyandotte doesn’t look too bad either now. Everyone has good color and no drainage from nose or eyes. They still talk to me when I come out there.

 

[aart]

Their coop/run is winterized and has good ventilation.

Pics please?
Also curious as to what you did to winterize and when you did it.
Did the coop staying start near to when you winterized run?

Maybe something(that wants to eat chickens) is nosing around the run?
Molting birds are often less active for at least a few days during the molt.

 

[Apsrn]

My husband and I made windows with plastic leaving 3-4” on top for ventilation. I also put a window shade on the back of the coop to keep out wind and rain. I just roll it up when I clean every morning. I think I figured it out. I had one of those Christmas extension boxes to plug in my heated watered. Once we fixed the outlet I took it out and they stayed out ( at least they were out when I left for work and when I got home. Even though I have a light out there so they can have their evening food ( they always have food) they still went to bed at 430. Which is unusual. Last winter they didn’t go to bed until 6-630. I have a light so I can make sure no predators are near. I hope they will start laying again

 

[Apsrn]

Update. All 5 girls come out eat and go back in. It’s really nice out here in Northern Illinois and all the girls ate and went back in. I don’t understand. They sometimes come out later and will definitely come out when I say dinner time. The younger three will actually come out when it’s dark and sit on the ramp I think they are vampire chickens only likely he dark. But all joking aside should I be worried? Please someone tell me what I can do. They all act healthy and normal.

 

[aart]

But all joking aside should I be worried? Please someone tell me what I can do.

Pics please?

 

[Apsrn]

I’m not home at the moment I’m doing last minute Christmas shopping. I will get pics on my coop and run in the morning. I swear they are vampire/werewolf chickens. Sun comes up they go in sun sets they come out and finish eating. I just deep cleaned their coop (done monthly no matter the weather), clean poop out of coop daily, clean poop out of run twice a day and at night when they are in clean uneaten greens and poop. I wash all the dishes weekly (fresh water,grit, calcium and dried herbs) and main feeder monthly. In cold weather they get feather fixer and corn based scratch grains and in warm weather just feather fixer. I use a pine shavings as base with straw on top and some coop refresh in cold weather and just pine shavings in warm weather with coop refresh. It’s cleaned with home made vinegar based cleaner with lemon and herbs. I’m not sure what else I can do to give them the best possible life. I’ve had no eggs for 2 months. I think the other 3 are now molting. Lots of feathers Nd not so pretty any more. All advice appreciated. As I said I’ll post pics in morning or at least try

 

[Apsrn]

I hope this helps. They had no problems last winter except when he had -30 wind chill and subzero temps I did bring them into our large garage in a temp coop and they all did fine with transitions to and from original coop. I have stayed outside or watching from window there are no predators seen. Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated.