The Poultry Keeper

sasha.p · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 472 Location: gwent

our two chickens have not gone into their house at all during the day i put a cardboard box in today as suggested but they just only go in as its getting dark,is this because it is too dark inside?do they not like the dark or something do i need to make the inside of the house light during the day?i noticed in the picture you posted that the chicken in the box appears to be in a house with a door that opens on the front do you leave that open during the day ?we just have an entrance with a sliding door on ours and we leave the door open all day and shut it once they have gone in for the evening but this door does not let much light in as it is only big enough for them to fit through please advise me am i doing something wrong or are my chickens just not ready to lay Rolling Eyes

George · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 5661 Location: London

You aren't doing anything wrong !

If they go in at night without problem, then it obviously doesn't worry them being dark inside (plus they like to lay in darker safer places), perhaps they aren't quite ready to lay eggs yet.

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

George is right as always. Wink

NannyP · Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 9:28 pm Post subject:

They normally only go in either to lay, to sleep or to eat pellets. If they have enough food and drink outside, they will only go in at roosting time. When they are coming into lay, they will use the nest box. Plus, they get easily spooked by anything new, so you'll notice that after tonight, they may show more interest in the house as it will seem normal, whereas today you'd added something Laughing

Funny things, chickens Wink

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

I'd say the same as the others, some girls take longer to settle in and some take longer to actually get to laying even though you might buy them as point of lay. I think pol is just a figure or speech to mean 'on the large side ~ maybe grown up ~ or maybe not'. I wouldn't worry about them, when they're ready hopefully they'll find the box. Sometimes people leave a golf ball or hard boiled (marked) egg in the box to let them know what it's for.

sasha.p · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 472 Location: gwent

ah right you say about food being inside i don't put any inside would this help?i put some on the ladder leading up into the house hoping this would encourage them into it but they seem to like being outside guess i will just have to wait till their ready lol Very Happy

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

My girls never go in the house during they day unless they're going to lay ~ it can pour down, have storm force winds, but they will not go in ~ quite stubborn I think is the word to use. So I wouldn't worry, they will go in when it's time to lay........or they may not. I still have one of my newer girls laying in the run, she doesn't seem to have got the hang of the fact that there are lovely nestboxes just waiting to be used in the house.