[Bikerene]

I am delighted to tell you that finally I have my hens (it has been a long time coming may I tell you!). There are 3 and are all nearly 19 weeks old.  The are fit and healthy, eating, drinking and perching in their run during the day but no one is going up on the perch in the hens house at night!  I have dusted the perch with diatomacious earth and none of it has moved.  Is this a problem, they can clearly perch because I see them do it during the day!  Should I be going out after dark and putting them one by one up on the perch? 

I was also wondering when to let them out of the run into the garden.  They has just the last 2 nights worked out how to go up the ladder to go to bed (2 had it sussed the first night but the third one took a bit longer and a couple of evenings help).  They have only been with me for 6 days? I am just a bit worried I will never get them back in again!!

Any advice much appreciated!

Bikerene

[little blue]

dont worry too much ... some hens will never perch at night - or at least, in my experience!
  You will help by, as you say, placing them up there every night (or at least, every night you are able to!) as they will realise when they wake up that they are somewhere good....

they will probably try all sorts of things until they decide where they  like to be best.  
its all learning, and chickens aren't the worlds brightest creatures, lovely as they are!

what breed are they?

[Bikerene]

Thank you little blue, that is reassuring.  I was just worried that something was not right.  I have 2 calder rangers and one rhode rock.  They are lovely!

[bloomer]

my lone buff orpington refuses to perch, all my others do fine, we are well aware our buff o isn't the sharpest knife in the draw by a long shot and have given up trying to get her to perch as she falls off when she falls asleep!!!

as for getting them in from the garden, we got ours into the habit of being fed in the run in the morning then getting let out for a few hours then we feed them again about 4ish in the run and they all come running in for that food, we have 1 hen who doesn't always cooperate and can be a cow to catch if she decides to play up as she is VERY fast on her feet!!!

[doganjo]

Do tehy NEED to perch?  Only 4 of mien do, the other 6 huddle in a corner together.  I would keep them in their run for  a fortnight and certainly until they start going inside themselves.  Then let them out into your garden a little before dusk and they should go into their run by themselves, especially if you get into the habit of feeding them then.  Do that a  few nights then it will be safe to let them roam any time you want them to.

[Bikerene]

My plan was for them to be in the run while I am at work and then when I come home after school let them have the freedom or the garden then.  Currently I have been giving them corn around 4pm.  Would it be better to hang fire with the corn until just before they go to bed or would they still go to bed anyway because it is getting dark?

[doganjo]

Would it be better to hang fire with the corn until just before they go to bed or would they still go to bed anyway because it is getting dark?

They will go to bed, provided they are sure where it is - and that's why they need to go in themselves while in their run - remember you go through this procedure when you introduce new ones too - as well as quarantining the new ones.  But as the time changes so should your last feed - I feed mine about an hour before dark.

[Beewyched]

We kept our hens in a temporary run for 2 weeks when we first got them as POLs, then they were fine at putting themselves to bed.  Even when we got a new house for them & moved them into the back yard for the winter they remembered where to go back to (though we did take their old house down, so they had little choice!  )   Our "freebie" cockeral from a neighbour was just shut in the house with them overnight & went to bed with his girls as good as gold (he's always first to bed now!).
I do tend to give them some snack an hour before "bedtime" as they free-range all over the holding, so at least I know they are back around the yard before Mr & Mrs Foxy goes on patrol.

Oh, & the perching - one of the girls has never perched & sleeps in a laying box, she seems to be as healthy & happy as the others.  Individual preference I guess 

Happy hen keeping

[ambriel]

Some of ours perch, others cram into the nest box and others just hunker down on the straw in the hen house. They're all happy enough, I think. Just leave them to sort themselves out.

The important thing is that you're making sure they're safe from Mr Fox at night. Even if you haven't seen any about it's highly likely that they've got wind of your hens. I've not seen a fox round ours but I've found fox scat so know they've been about.

[Bikerene]

Thank you so much for your advice it is very much appreciated as a "learner" hen keeper! I think I will keep them in the run for a wee bit longer.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi,

      some people belive that it is good for their legs and feet to pearch but mine only do it through the day if left in the run. If they sleep in the nest boxes as mine often like to do then you need to shake the straw every morning to remove the droppings before they lay in there.

     In terms of letting them out I tend to do this after only a day or so which is fairly quick compaired to many other people but its always worked for me. Letting them out for an hour before dusk as mentioned above is the best advice along with giving them their corn or any treats in the run. Ideally you want them to return to the run under their own steam so that they ackowledge the coop as their safe place. The first time you let them out they may take a little while longer to go to bed than usual. If they get very confused about going up the ramp then putting a torch in there can help as they are drawn to the light as it gets dark outside.

   If you do need to herd them move slowly, use your body to block or direct them, give them space and time to make a decision about where to go and speak to them in the same reasuring voice that you use when feeding or handling them. Dont rush or panic them especially when they are close to the coop or contemplating going into the run as they will think they are being chased away. If you want to make your presence less intimidating either crouch down or divert your gaze and turn side on to them.

   I use a specific comand and gesture to herd my girls in which mimics their own behaviour. Chickens use noises and physical gestures to communicate with each other so they understand you better if you use sounds and movements similar to their own. The more you do this the more they get used to what you want. teaching them to come when called in exchange for treats is also very effective as you can just call them to the coop and throw the treats into the run and they will follow.

Be consistant with comands and gestrures as well as routine as chickens learn by association.

good luck,

Buffy

[Beewyched]

Well said Buffy 

[Bikerene]

Thank you Buffy!  I will leave it another few days then give it a try - fingers crossed they don't make a run for it and escape!

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Have a little faith ;)They wont try and escape. they will just explore the area around their coop.

 When people come to buy birds from me they are always amazed at the fact that my hens dont leave the premises despite being able to. But why would they? They have food, water, treats, shelter, dust baths, places to range and perch and a safe place to roost and lay eggs. I leave my birds out alone all day when I go to work and they stay on my land. When I pull up in the car they come running from all four corners to see what I've got for them and in time yours will be just as friendly and tame.

  By letting them out about 5pm on the first evening, shaking the corn tin and sprinkling a few tasty treats as you wander round with them you will be like the piedpiper. You will have their attention and they will soon learn that you = treats so they wont run away from you.


I have 3 coops on the go at the moment but let all my birds free range together and wander in and out of each others pens to eat each others feed which can lead to a bit of coop hopping come bed time. I let them all out this morning but needed to get them all back into the right coops quickly before dashing off to work at lunch time. Armed only with a fork and a bowl containg corn, cheese and a bit of tuna in olive oil, I got 5 adult hens and a cockerel into their coop first by calling them over to me and shaking some of the treats into the run. Then the two young males who have only lived here since sunday evening and dont know their names yet but responed to tapping the fork on the bowl at chicken height, were inticed into a different coop using the same method. Followed by a broody who comes to her name and her 4 three week old chicks who were ushered into their broody coop.

Chasing chickens is frustrating and time consuming. So like people..., its allways better to motivte them towards what you want with rewards than to drive them towards it with fear.

Dont be affraid to let them out, they will love it and you will enjoy watching them have their freedom

Let us know how you get on.

Buffy

[doganjo]

Same principle with dogs - never chase, always run away from a puppy.  They need you.  An old trainer once told me  when my pup went off and wouldn't come back to shout 'OK, go away, I'll buy another pup and it'll be better than you' then run like stink in the opposite direction.  Works every time.