The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[stonykill]

yikes...I just want some help with my chickens... deep, sad sigh!!

Well...I'll ask here: should I be concerned that my hens want to sleep in the nest box? They just started laying, today, as a matter of fact. We had read that we must be vigilant to keep them from sleeping in the nest box so that they would know to lay there. Apparently, they know to lay there, but they were still sleeping there tonight. We lift them up, put them on a perch, but they just go right back to the nest box the next night....

some hens are hard to get to sleep on the roost. Would I be concerned? Maybe. I'll explain. There are only 2 times my hens won't sleep on roost. 1 is they are broody. If your hens just started to lay today, it isn't that.
The other time myhens won't roost is because they are sick. But don't get worried yet.

How old? Are these the 24 week old RIR's? Has it been a battle to get them to roost? Some hens need to be put up on roost for a while until they get the hang of it.

But ...if you are sure they aren't sick....personally I wouldn't worry. I have a splash Sumatra who at 1-1/2 years old just started roosting this week. She always slept in a nest box, and laid in a nest box.

hope this helps.

 

[Crafty-Duck]

yikes...I just want some help with my chickens... deep, sad sigh!!

Well...I'll ask here: should I be concerned that my hens want to sleep in the nest box? They just started laying, today, as a matter of fact. We had read that we must be vigilant to keep them from sleeping in the nest box so that they would know to lay there. Apparently, they know to lay there, but they were still sleeping there tonight. We lift them up, put them on a perch, but they just go right back to the nest box the next night....

I don't like my hens to sleep in the nest boxes!!!! I had to keep placing them back on the perch and finally they started sleeping on the roost on their own that and I put up nest box curtains that seemed to stop them too!!! they still lay their eggs in the boxes but they don't sleep in them anymore! it worked for me so good luck.

 

[lalaland]

yikes...I just want some help with my chickens... deep, sad sigh!!
Well...I'll ask here: should I be concerned that my hens want to sleep in the nest box? They just started laying, today, as a matter of fact. We had read that we must be vigilant to keep them from sleeping in the nest box so that they would know to lay there. Apparently, they know to lay there, but they were still sleeping there tonight. We lift them up, put them on a perch, but they just go right back to the nest box the next night....

I think the vigilance is to keep them from deciding it is their permanent roosting spot. If they roost in the next, they will still lay in the nest, but the problem is that when they roost, they poop in the nest, and then the eggs end up dirty. You want to avoid washing your eggs so the bloom stays on and they retain freshness and don't pick up oders.

Mine have been roosting in the nest boxes since the owl attack, I think they feel safer. For the first few nights, they were roosting in the nest box with their heads in the corner - kind of "I'm not here, you can't see me" attitude. Now they roost in the nest box facing out. I am still taking them off the nest and placing them on the roost.
Never had such a problem in more than a decade of chickens, but....

 

[mrsamplias]

Quote:
Thanks! Yes, they are 24 weeks. It has been a battle...we won't worry!! I appreciate your input!!

 

[bobbi-j]

OT is now locked (again?) for "cleanup". The way things are looking, I'm going to have a lot more time on my hands as The Road and OT are the only threads I read anymore...

 

[stonykill]

Thanks! Yes, they are 24 weeks. It has been a battle...we won't worry!! I appreciate your input!!

good. Just keep at it. They will get the hang of it

 

[delisha]

Quote: I butcher my chickens..and have for over 30 years. I am pretty sure I would recognize a tape worm. I have seen pictures of others who have butchered out there own chickens and seen tapeworm in the pictures. Not hard to miss.

However, I am glad you have stopped over..You have some good knowledge to share. I don't always agree with it, but, you are certainly knowledgeable.

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Where is bulldogma and aoxa? Are they gone for the holidays?

 

[lalaland]

buckeyes,

who has buckeyes? I saw some gorgeous pics on a thread here, might have been the Road thread, and fell in love with them. Am thinking about getting some this spring.

If you have or have had buckeyes, what do you think about them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

OT is unlocked now.
phew.
hope everyone can settle down and we can get back to chickens.
Mine are still recovering from the owl attack a week ago. They really stay under the coop - under cover - and are pretty skittish. Some are starting to pink up a bit, so maybe they will get back to laying. I knocked over the jug of FF, and there was glass in it, so I had to throw it out and start over. Darn it!

Since the hawk swooped down on mine this past week, I have to go out with them or they won't go outside the fence. sorry about your ff, thats a bummer.