What the heck are they doing???

Dcherie13

In the Brooder
May 20, 2017
36
7
21
This is our first time raising chickens...and man I feel like everything you don't want them to do they have done!

We had a batch from March, with only one female. She is 26 weeks old now and is NOT laying, or at least not in the nest box

I have 10 other pullets that were hatched in June; they are around 14 weeks old now.

I opened up the nest boxes when my March hen was 19 weeks. The younger ones started sleeping in there so a few weeks ago I started blocking them in the evening and opening them back up in the morning. I was keepin everyone in the coop until after lunch time and then I'd let them out of the coop/run to free range until dusk. When I still wasn't seeing any eggs I started keeping everyone in the coop/run 24/7. This has only been the last few days and since I started doing this my birds are staying in the coop all day??? They don't even come down to the run! They all stay up in the coop and dig through the bedding in the nest boxes and move the golf balls around like it's a game.

Is this normal that they are spending all of their time in the coop? Not even coming down into the run? It's still 90 degrees in NC so I know its toasty in there!

Also, any ideas on why my 26 week hen isn't laying? She has layer feed, water, oyster shells...my only thought is that she probably eats chick feed as well (and vice versa) so maybe she isn't getting enough protein?

Anyway, just can't figure out why they want to stay in the coop all day messing up the nesting boxes!
 
Sounds as if there is more to do in the coop than in the run. Try throwing some leaves, hay, grass clippings in the run and scattering a bit of scratch so they have something to play with. What breed is the hen - some just mature more slowly than others. How many cockerels ? If too many they may be harassing the pullets causing them to stay in the coop.
 
I have no idea why they are not going into their run during the day, but what breed is the 26 week old? Some breeds are slower to mature and will start laying later than others.
 
Sounds as if there is more to do in the coop than in the run. Try throwing some leaves, hay, grass clippings in the run and scattering a bit of scratch so they have something to play with. What breed is the hen - some just mature more slowly than others. How many cockerels ? If too many they may be harassing the pullets causing them to stay in the coop.


I'm not sure her breed, she was given to us but they thought some kind of RIR mix. Only one cockerel! I will try adding some things to the run.
 

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