why are my chickens so weird?

[schmoo]

sorry this is long.........

We live in Michigan where the winters can be fierce. So my DH decided to double the coop for when its too cold and windy to go outside. It is in the basement of our barn, so he just had to add 2 walls to the existing coop. Anyways the "new" part of the coop has been there for about 2 months, it has a small door connecting it to the main coop because the "new" side is not 100% predator proof, so we close that door at night when they go to roost in the main coop. They never really went into the "new" side that often, they would be outside most of the time.

Heres the weird thing. Yesterday and today there have been 30 to 50 MPH gusts of wind so I kept the run closed -(the wind would be blowing directly in.) Those crazy chickens just sit all crowded in the main coop. I tried to entice them into the new side with cracked corn etc. and they come in for a minute and go right back to being crowded in the main coop. WHY do you think they are doing it? The new side is bigger it has a nice window and also has food and water and a couple roosts, no wind and plenty of light. I can't figure it out.

 

[Dawn419]

Give them time to get used to the new "digs"...chickens hate change!!!

Mine are mad at me for hanging their feeders out in the run, they are in the same areas, just hanging since they'll get rowdy and knock the feeders over.

Dawn

 

[thndrdancr]

Well, my chickens seem to love their "new" digs. We covered the run with plastic, put hale bales around the coop and part of the run so it would not be so cold (and mine hate the wind too). We had an old tv cart sittin in the drive that sis wanted to throw out, she says why dont we put it in the coop. Well mind you, they already HAVE one tv cart. Two tv carts in a 7 x 4 run kind of makes it crowded. I disagreed but said we would try it, didnt think they could stretch their wings.
Well the idiots LOVE it, they didnt even hesitate going into the run when we put it in, they are out their playing jungle gym on the darned things.
Not only that, they have decided the 4 inch space underneath the carts is interesting. I sat and watched 2 full grown hens, one over 6 lbs, crawl into a 4 inch space this morn and proceed to act like it was heaven. If they start laying my eggs under there, I will never be able to get them.

Crazy birds.

 

[Grammi]