Things are going mostly well with the new chickens. The 3 older ladies are slowly adjusting to having new chickens in their space. They still don’t mingle at all, and the younger ones often get chased away from the food if the old ladies are eating. I found one of the sussex pullets dead 2 days ago. There was no sign of a fight or disease. We think she might have tried to get on the roost and been pushed off and broke her neck. Creepy thing is that she was the one chicken that hadn’t been named yet.
Anyone know how to get them to go in the chicken house at night? The one sussex left has started going in and roosting on the edge of the laying boxes, but the other 4 insist on sitting on a log outside, even if it’s pouring rain! I have to figure out a way to get them to go in at night before it gets too cold, and just for their safety. I may just put them in there 5 or 6 nights in a row and close the coop up so they can’t jump back out.
Ours march in on their own when it gets dark. The new ones did not go in the first night, but they have since. How about a second perch?
I put a second roost in, close to the ground, but still no go. I may prop the door open a little wider and make a ramp, just in case the little one can’t get in well.
One evening after dark, gather up the “outside” chickens and put them into the chicken house. Put a full waterer and plenty of food for 24 hours in the chicken house. Close the chicken house and leave all of the chickens in there for 24 full hours. Then go back to the normal “let them out in the morning” routine. This should convince them to go “to bed” at night in the house with everyone else.