Author Topic: Chickens not sleeping in their house (Read 2780 times)

danconfessed · « **on:** February 27, 2014, 11:01:08 am »

I have had many many chickens over the years and have found on quite a few occasions that when moved to a new place it can take a while for them to go in on their own of a night. Normally after 2-4 days they get the hang of it.

However, nearly two weeks ago I moved my Orpingtons to a new house. Sods law this particular house/ run is a bugger to access for me. Its 4ft high, 4 ft wide and 10ft long, so crawling through on my hands and knees to put them away every night is getting tedious!

This has happened once before, years back, and it turned out there was red mite. the girls were obviously very reluctant to go into the house. This particular house is not only new but i creosoted the whole thing before they went in.
I have also tried putting a light in there as sometimes that helps them to go in.

Does anyone have any ideas??

HesterF · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2014, 11:27:11 am »

I'm struggling with the picture of a it a bit - how do you clean it out? Could you give them (and you) an easier way in? So that if they don't go in, you can more easily put them in? Where are they going if they're not going into the house? Orpingtons aren't going to be going anywhere higher so I guess they're just cuddling up in a corner somewhere which doesn't sound as though it's something they'd prefer to do - they'd rather be indoors then, I'd have thought? Or are they trying to get back to their old house?

Another thought is when did you creosote the house? If it was too recently, it could be very unpleasant for them to be in - I left three weeks after creosoting in the middle of the hot summer last year before putting the birds back in and even then it still stank. I would imagine at this time of year and in these temperatures you should leave it a lot longer - and it can burn their feet as well as making it unpleasant to breath.

chrismahon · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2014, 12:19:56 pm »

I'm thinking along the same lines as HesterF. The creosote is putting them off as it will burn their eyes and feet. This time of year I can't see it drying if applied neat. I've done a small coop here with 50:50 creosote and paraffin. It is quite warm, but despite a week in the sun and three weeks under cover I still think the smell is too strong to confine chickens in it.

danconfessed · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2014, 12:59:42 pm »

That could well be the case! I creosoted a week before putting them in. After it dried i laid some newspaper down then a good 3" of bedding. I have attached a pic of the run. As you can see the door to the run is awkward and down one end. the roof of the house is removable

HesterF · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2014, 01:17:12 pm »

So are they just huddling underneath the house instead? You need each of those side panels to be removable really don't you? Because at some point the run itself will need cleaning out and I can see what you mean about it being a nightmare.

Certainly with only a week of drying, the creosote will still be too strong - it's just so damp and cold at the moment it won't have dried thoroughly yet. Have you got an alternative for a while?

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2014, 01:39:29 pm »

I reckon creosote takes three weeks to dry out in midsummer, so much longer at this time of year.

danconfessed · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2014, 02:13:40 pm »

Thanks guys, I will move them to the shed for a week or so to let it finish drying out.
They sleep wherever they lay at the moment! They are really lovely birds

Thanks again for your comments

Dan