Quote:
My SQ pullets have huge crests and can not see well. They are pampered and hand carried to be with the flock. They are practically hand fed & watered and put in a private tractor with other pullets & chicks. They go through the motions of foraging but tire of it easily. I put their crests up in small binder clips. Hair tape & ruber bands don't work for me. They get special treats throughout the day. This is their life....
The rest of my silkies act like chickens.
They been in the coop for a month or more now. We didn't let them out till the past couple weeks to forage. They stayed in the coop before this and they would go in and out of the coop and run but at night they would pile up at the farthest corner of the run away from the coop. We tried to shoo them in side at night but they just wouldn't have it. So we let them out of the coop and blocked the run door with a baby gate so they can't sleep out there. They go to the coop door at night and pile up there instead of going inside. During the day they go in to get a drink or nibble on feed so they know where to go. They just don't want to. When I go out to close up the coop for the night I shoo them inside or pick them up and put inside the coop. They don't run out. They make a pile infront of the run door. I've seen the RIR pullets on the roost during the day but not at night. I've had this problem before but it didn't last this long. We have a big light on that side of the yard that's on a tall pole in the middle of the yard where the coops are. They have light. They are living up to the saying that chickens are stupid because when it comes to where to sleep, they just don't get it. We've actually placed them on the roosts and I put a ladder in there that leads to the shelf for roosting so they can get up there easily. From my experience with all my other chickens they like to roost at the highest place they can get. Not these. They prefer the ground. Some of them do have thick crests but that doesn't explain why the rest do this.
My SQ pullets have huge crests and can not see well. They are pampered and hand carried to be with the flock. They are practically hand fed & watered and put in a private tractor with other pullets & chicks. They go through the motions of foraging but tire of it easily. I put their crests up in small binder clips. Hair tape & ruber bands don't work for me. They get special treats throughout the day. This is their life....
The rest of my silkies act like chickens.
Now I have some sizzles and they get out everyday to forage along with the RIR pullets and BO pullet. They all share a coop. But at night they refuse to roost in the coop. They will pile up at the far end of the run. It doesn't matter if it is storming, they still stay out there. So we closed the door to the run so they will sleep at night inside. But we can't seem to get them to go back inside at night. Everynight I go out to lock up and they are piled up on one side of the door or the other but always outside. We prop the door open so they can go in and out as they please during the day. I have to pick most of them up and put them in the coop. They stay once they're in there but it's not on their own. Even the RIR and BO pile up with them. We have been doing this for 2 weeks now everyday and they still don't get it.
Are they 2 weeks new or did they just revert back to this behavior 2 weeks ago?
It sounds as if they do not know that the coop is theirs. If they are new, they have to be locked up in the coop for 1-2 weeks. And...they might be afraid of the dark.
Hang a low watt UV buld in the coop, turn it on 1/2 hour before dusk and tell them to "go to the light"
After you carry them into the "light" for a few days, they should get it.
Mine are "going to the light" by themselves, now. But when I don't turn it on, won't go in. It's now on the Xmas light dusk+2 hour timer.
They are 10 weeks old and are afraid of the dark.
Good luck!
Brenda
Are they 2 weeks new or did they just revert back to this behavior 2 weeks ago?
It sounds as if they do not know that the coop is theirs. If they are new, they have to be locked up in the coop for 1-2 weeks. And...they might be afraid of the dark.
Hang a low watt UV buld in the coop, turn it on 1/2 hour before dusk and tell them to "go to the light"
After you carry them into the "light" for a few days, they should get it.
Mine are "going to the light" by themselves, now. But when I don't turn it on, won't go in. It's now on the Xmas light dusk+2 hour timer.
They are 10 weeks old and are afraid of the dark.
Good luck!
Brenda
They been in the coop for a month or more now. We didn't let them out till the past couple weeks to forage. They stayed in the coop before this and they would go in and out of the coop and run but at night they would pile up at the farthest corner of the run away from the coop. We tried to shoo them in side at night but they just wouldn't have it. So we let them out of the coop and blocked the run door with a baby gate so they can't sleep out there. They go to the coop door at night and pile up there instead of going inside. During the day they go in to get a drink or nibble on feed so they know where to go. They just don't want to. When I go out to close up the coop for the night I shoo them inside or pick them up and put inside the coop. They don't run out. They make a pile infront of the run door. I've seen the RIR pullets on the roost during the day but not at night. I've had this problem before but it didn't last this long. We have a big light on that side of the yard that's on a tall pole in the middle of the yard where the coops are. They have light. They are living up to the saying that chickens are stupid because when it comes to where to sleep, they just don't get it. We've actually placed them on the roosts and I put a ladder in there that leads to the shelf for roosting so they can get up there easily. From my experience with all my other chickens they like to roost at the highest place they can get. Not these. They prefer the ground. Some of them do have thick crests but that doesn't explain why the rest do this.
