[feldar]

I have four ex battery hens.I have had them for a year or so and they run free in my garden. They have a hen house and run but i do like to let them roam free and they love it too, the only problem is that now they wont go to the house anymore to lay their eggs and they have also started not going home at night, i find them roosting under bushes.
This is only a recent thing in the last month or so and they keep moving their nest where they lay. I have a china egg i put in the nest and try not to disturb them too much but unfortunately yesterday a pair of magpies found their nest under a bush and destroyed the eggs! I,m at my witsend as to how to persuade them to lay in the house. Can anyone help please

[gavo]

Have you checked them and the house for mites ie Red Mite? Are their combs still a healthy red colour or have you noticed them get a bit pale recently? Do you regularly clean out the nest boxes and the hen house? What bedding material are you using? Have you recently changed the type you are using? Birds don't usually change their habits so dramatically for no good reason. Sorry so many questions  but answering them may help indicate what the problem is.The good thing is mites are treatable there are powders etc that you can buy to treat the birds and the house it just takes a wee while  and a bit of feeling rather itchy (if like me the thought of crawlies etc makes you want to scratch never mind getting up close and personal with them)

[feldar]

Thanks for your answer
Yes i clean the house weekly but it never gets really dirty as the birds spend a lot of time outside, i will check the house for mites tonight, i did check the hens and they seem clean but i think i will treat them and house anyway.
They are bedded on hemp shavings or aubiose with straw but they never have used the nestboxes just layed in one corner of the house???

[doganjo]

Once you have checked them (and treated just in case  ) for red mites, then restrict them to a run for a few days to re-establish their connection with their home, shut them in at night.

[goosepimple]

You might have a rat problem which would put them off - or it could just simply be that they want to be higher and your house is too low?  We have ferall hens (and non) who roost in trees quite happily and we create places for them to lay - such as a piece of timber board propped up against a shed in a quiet area with a bit of soft hay (rather than straw but straw would do) so it looks all nice and cuddly and cosy to lay an egg or another popular spot was to get those balsawood boxes from a veg shop and line it with hay and put it within jumping up distance - a wee bit high so they felt safe - in a semi-covered area is good.  We've always found their eggs - you can hear them announcing their excitement after laying so its pretty obvious - they just change their spot every 2-3 weeks - always a bit of fun to find them - don't get stressed - just get more hens!

[jaykay]

Red mite was my first thought too - that's what happened when I got a badly infested house - they all left home!
The mites live in nooks and crannies - often under the perches - and not on the birds, you rarely find them atually on a hen.

[BlueDaisy]

I thought red mite too.
Do you pick the hens up and put them back in the house? If so, you should be able to detect mites fairly easily by running white paper into the cracks and crevices, under the perch and where the perch meets the wall. If the paper comes out with blood on it - you've got mites.
Good luck, they can be difficult to get rid of.

[feldar]

Thanks for all your help, we have got red mite, found evidence of the little bliters in house, chicken have lice too! This parasite job never ends thought it was bad enough with the sheep. Anyway also bought hens new much higher up house as well cause we thought old one too close to ground,these are very spoilt hens. going to have a blitz on anything creepy and wiggling today,so keep moving hubby or you'll get done too.

[jaykay]

'Total mite kill' sprayed into all nooks and crannies is quite good. Then diatom powder sprinkled under perch ends and into nest boxes. Can need doing weekly in summer. Get rid of any felt on roof - tin or onduline leave fewer places for the little b*****s to hide 

Most effective and long lasting is diesel painted on, though then have to leave house empty for ages while fumes disperse. Probably highly illegal but certainly highly effective

[robert waddell]

interesting about the diesel          in the old days the houses were painted with coal tar creosote       don't know if it is still available              the cheep stuff from the DIY places is not as good             the coal tar creosote used to burn like hell especially on a sunny day

[OhLaLa]

Please note folks: Diesel oil and other motor oils are VERY toxic to poultry. To be avoided.

[jaykay]

Diesel fuel. Don't doubt the toxicity hence the caveat to keep hens out of the house until the fumes are no longer detectable. And actually just recording that I have used it as people used to use old-fashioned creosote. Actually advising using mite-kill and diatom.

[Raine]

Creosote is illegal for individuals to buy or use, but if you work in agriculture it's fine! Weird how laws work.  It is very good at killing everything... so be aware if you do use it.

I use Total Red Mite Kill if I see them, poultry shield once every 2 weeks and (when I still couldn't get rid of the little blighter's) an smoke insecitide called Mini Fortefog "P" Fumer.  The fumigator is supposed to be chicken and human friendly, but I kept us all well away for the 2 hours it needs to work.  Remember to check the coop every 3 days after doing a deep clean as some eggs may still hatch and will need another spray .

Hope this helps 

Lauraine