Just joined today to give out a general thank you to this site. I did all my homework here.
A friend is moving and can't take his hens with him so I adopted them. There is a white leghorn an Americana and a buff orpington. I have a huge lot, two young boys and a what turns out to be a very chicken friendly dog so these will be free range birds all the way and they seem happy about that. The first week they got here I didn't have a coop or anything so they ran wild and roosted in my mulberry tree. They have been laying eggs in a nest they built up under some bushes.
Now the coop and nest box is done and the girls are moved in. Without hesitation they immediately started roosting the first night in the coop. I made sure to build the nest box much lower than the roost.
My plan is to leave them in the coop until they start laying eggs in the box and then let the range during the day again. Hopefully that is soon as I'm about out of eggs from the first week and have no interest in grocery store eggs anymore.
Looking at the pine shavings in the nest box it is clear they have not even explored inside it yet. Any suggestions on how to get them to go in and check it out?
Glad I found this site and look forward to contributing.
A friend is moving and can't take his hens with him so I adopted them. There is a white leghorn an Americana and a buff orpington. I have a huge lot, two young boys and a what turns out to be a very chicken friendly dog so these will be free range birds all the way and they seem happy about that. The first week they got here I didn't have a coop or anything so they ran wild and roosted in my mulberry tree. They have been laying eggs in a nest they built up under some bushes.
Now the coop and nest box is done and the girls are moved in. Without hesitation they immediately started roosting the first night in the coop. I made sure to build the nest box much lower than the roost.
My plan is to leave them in the coop until they start laying eggs in the box and then let the range during the day again. Hopefully that is soon as I'm about out of eggs from the first week and have no interest in grocery store eggs anymore.
Looking at the pine shavings in the nest box it is clear they have not even explored inside it yet. Any suggestions on how to get them to go in and check it out?
Glad I found this site and look forward to contributing.
