New Flock isn't laying or roosting - please help

[sneakytoes02]

It is

Is roost at least 12" away from the wall?
Those funky feathers won't really improve until they molt they grow new ones.

. Put it at 14 just to be sure.

 

[aart]

It is

. Put it at 14 just to be sure.

Cool.... looked smaller, but can be hard to tell in pics.

 

[gtaus]

I didn't think of the snow either when building our run, but I did put the door about 14" up of the ground as I hoped this would help keep fox from digging in, and birds from escaping when I opened the door. Got lucky that it worked out for winter as well.

I'll have to make a different gate for winter use, about 12 inches high off the ground. Last summer I just used what I had and even then I wondered if the dog kennel gate would be too low for winter use. It was.

I'm thinking of making a gate bin enough to drive my riding lawn mower inside. Probably make it a split gate so I don't have to open it all the way to the ground if only I need to get in. Like the idea of having a slightly raised portion of the gate to encourage the birds to stay inside the run.

Also included a pic of my new upgraded roosting rail with poop rail/box. I hope they like it one day when they are brave enough to go up there. I have some hope though, as there was a poop about a third of the way up the ladder this morning. Also got an egg this morning. Going to have it for breakfast!

Sounds like things are improving for your birds. You might want to manually place some of the birds on the roost for a few days until they get the idea. Also, I can't tell how steep that board is going up to the roost, but a steep incline might put them off from walking up to the new roost bar. What worked for me was a low roost bar at about 2 feet off the floor and another higher bar at 4 foot off the ground. I made it so they could hop from the lower bar to the higher bar, but also had a ladder to the lower bar to begin with. My chickens found their way to the lower bar in a few days, and then they hopped up to the higher bar by themselves. Now, all 10 of my chickens use the high bar.

Congrats on that first egg! I am sure you will have many more to come as your girls settle into their new surroundings.

 

[MFF]

if There not laying try switching them to a Dane bird feed which is 20% protein instead of layer feed which is 16% going this got my hens that stopped laying for a month to lay five eggs a week each when they start laying switch back to a layer feed other then that they might just need to adjust yo there home just keep a good eye on there health

 

[pozees2]

@sneakytoes02 Good on you taking those birds in and doing all you've done for them. As @MFF mentioned, it might help them to receive a higher protein ration. You can switch to a different feed, or supplement their feed with scrambled eggs or meal worms. Around here, meal worms make you a friend for life

I'm in CO, where it snows but then it's usually gone in a few days, so something less of a long term issue here. We shovel out our runs mostly to keep them from turning into mud pits when it melts, but also because they don't like to walk on it; after we shovel I usually scatter some chopped straw and then on top of the straw, chopped alfalfa, which they *love* and will spend hours scratching through and eating alfalfa. It's a nice green treat in the middle of winter, and gets them out and moving around. The funniest part to me is, once most of the snow has melted, suddenly piles of snow are a treat - we let them out to free range a few hours every day, and they will go over and eat the snow LOL.

 

[TheFarm41]

Here is a pic of some of my girls the day they arrived. We still have snow on the ground, but it was plus 2. I don't think they had ever touched the ground before. The poor girls are so terrible looking with their bear bums, and scruffy feathers.View attachment 2038184

I want to know how your girls are doing. I bet their chickeness will take over soon enough and they will be scratching, dusting and happy. We once got 1 year old chickens that were well cared for, but lived in a chicken barn and had not ever been outside. It took them a week or so to start venturing out of the coop and exploring. They became some of our best forage birds and free ranged on our farm for about 4 years.
Looks like your birds are leghorns from a egg production facility? These ladies will be so much better off with you. Even if they aren't young, I bet they still lay a respectable amount of eggs once they get over their trauma and the snow.

 

[TheFarm41]

Here is a pic of some of my girls the day they arrived. We still have snow on the ground, but it was plus 2. I don't think they had ever touched the ground before. The poor girls are so terrible looking with their bear bums, and scruffy feathers.View attachment 2038184

I want to know how your girls are doing. I bet their chickeness will take over soon enough and they will be scratching, dusting and happy. We once got 1 year old chickens that were well cared for, but lived in a chicken barn and had not ever been outside. It took them a week or so to start venturing out of the coop and exploring. They became some of our best forage birds and free ranged on our farm for about 4 years.
Looks like your birds are leghorns from a egg production facility? These ladies will be so much better off with you. Even if they aren't young, I bet they still lay a respectable amount of eggs once they get over their trauma and the snow.

 

[Double Yolked]

Coming late to this question but I found a solution for a flock of pullets acting much the same. I borrowed a rooster from a friend whose flock I knew was healthy. She lives close by and I had had time to check her birds out thoroughly. I also had two young pullets in my flock from her. While disease is always a threat, in this case I was reasonably sure there was little or no danger. I kept the bird quarantine for 2 weeks and then allowed him into the hen's run.
He examined the run with almost intelligent interest, examined the nest boxes, coop and roosts and then took charge. With in a day or so he dragged all their stubborn little tailfeathers into the hen house and gave them a tour of their OWN hen house. Clucking and mumbling and encouraging them. Showed the the roosts, the nest boxes, the food and so on. He had those hens settled in 3 days!
No more eggs on the floor, no more sitting on the floor at night they all gathered around him, snuggled really, on a good roost and went from miserable and fighting to a happy, calm, egg-laying flock. That's his picture as my avatar. Sir Fluffybutt the Wise. I had raised him, but gave him to Del when his crowing started bothering my very ill neighbor. Got him back a year later and kept him for almost a year before giving him back to Del, again because of his VERY LOUD crowing. Rooster collar did not work with his thick neck.

 

[Durelle]

I raised my birds from day old chicks. They have had the advantage of enjoying a chicken run since June of last year. When we got our first snow covering the ground, my girls basically just stood there looking confused - and then they all ran back into the coop! I guess what I am saying is that maybe your rescue chickens are not all that abnormal in being confused by setting foot on snow for the first time.

Speaking of chickens out in the snow, last week I had to go inside my coop to break free my pop door which was frozen in the down closed position. As I was going into the coop, one of my chickens literally flew the coop and landed belly down in a 3 foot snow bank. She was so surprised that she was "frozen" in place and would not move. I was concerned that I might have to chase her all over the yard, through knee high snow, until I was able to get her back into the coop. Fortunately for me, she had no desire to move at all and let me walk right up to her, pick her up, and carry her to the coop. Last summer I had a few escapees from the coop and it took me about 20 minutes to chase them down and get them back into the coop.

One thing I learned from my chickens this winter is that any chicken scratch thrown into the chicken run with snow on the ground is basically wasted feed, or compost material at best. My chickens will not scratch the snow and any feed in the snow is basically lost. I do have deep litter in my coop, so I just throw my chicken scratch inside the coop and the girls are happy scratching and pecking inside the coop for food. I have recently thrown a couple bags of fall leaves on the snow in the chicken run and my girls will walk on leaves, and scratch around a bit. But they have no desire at all to set foot on that white snow. I don't know if all chickens are that way, or just my hens. It is funny to see them walk right up to the snow line and stop dead in their tracks, and turn around. It's really like an invisible fence and they will not venture onto the snow.

OK, long story to get to the point that maybe if you cover the snow in your chicken run with something like leaves, straw, wood chips, etc... your rescue hens might feel more comfortable in the run. Depending on where you live, spring can still be a long way off.

My chickens also will not step out of the run if there is snow on the ground. I have to cover it with shavings or straw. They will come out and venture under the trees in bare spots, but totally freak if they step on the snow. I noticed them all huddled under a tree and so I threw snacks out. Two ran towards me. When they hit the snow, they were jumping and screaming. The other 3 would not move.

 

[Onyxflock]

Rather than carrying your girls back and forth you might "herd" them in and out, letting them find the door on their own. Otherwise they may get trained to be carried.
Shovel some fresh dirt or use sand (we used playground sand 3 bags) on the ground to give them something dry to walk on and won't be frozen & hard if they scratch.
Finally I would toss some feed out on the ground right in front of them each day, it's something they are used to and should start them pecking it up. Anything extra that you give them toss on the ground or on the coop floor.
My birds are 6 months old and don't roost - but cuddle up in the shavings on the floor.
They will come around, you watch. You sound like a good chicken Mom!