Agoraphobic hens?

[PurpleDragon]

For some reason my hens won't come out of their coop.

I have heard of them not wanting to go in if there is some sort of infestation, but even on a nice day like today, where there is hardly a breeze, no rain, a bit chilly, the only way I can get them to come out of the coop is to go in and chase them out. Then they come out, wait till I go away and go back indoors.

Why? I just can't understand it.

[Camile]

Hello,

Your coop is way too cosy !

remove their TV and couch from there and they might go out !

Seriously, is there food inside ?

are they all hens ? none of them seem broody ? do they attack you and make clocking noise when you try to take there eggs ?

Camile

[2steps]

could something of visited in the night and made them worry about what out there? they couldn't proberly still smell it. my remaining hen was like this when we had the fox come

[PurpleDragon]

They are bonkers! I've just been out there AGAIN and chased them out. The day is glorious!

They have the coop, then an enclosed fox-proof run, then the outside run, then the garden.

When I chased them out the last time, I closed their door to the coop so they couldn't get in again, and left the other doors open. I spread a load of food in their outdoor run, and they are looking at it thru the mesh. They are definately scared of something. They just won't leave the enclosed run. There is no food in the enclosed run - just their water. The food is in the outside run.

last week, I opened the gate to the garden, and the cockerel spent the whole day there stopping the hens going thru, and if one slipped past him, he went out and chased it back in.

They aren't in lay right now at all.

[ina]

When I worked in France there was a young cockerel who would not leave the goat shed he'd adopted as his home... He was fully grown, and still crept under mum's wing, and never went outside. One day I thought I'd help him along a bit, caught him and chucked him out into the wide world - gosh, the noise he made... And straight back inside. A few days later he was dead. I felt a bit guilty - maybe it was the stress I caused him that killed him?

[PurpleDragon]

Oh, gosh, I hope I haven't stressed them out so much they're gonna drop donw dead

[Millymollymandy]

How long have you had them for and what age were they when you got them? Do you know what their living conditions were like from the place you got them from?

I'm just thinking out loud here as hens like mine from commercial breeders sold at the markets aren't exactly brought up in nice conditions (like we give them ). Mine took months before they realised what a perch was for, although they did go outside into their run without any problems.

Sounds like they are scared - but was it before you got them or since?

Where's Stoney - he's very good with chook advice!

[PurpleDragon]

Thanks 3M

Two of the hens have been here since before I have. I inherited them from the previous owners. Their personalities changed though when we got the cockerel. They are moulting right now though - poor things - their necks are bare - probably cold!

The bantam is 'stolen' from my neighbour and we have had her since last winter. She used to live in the trees next door.

The cockerel and the three little ones I've had for a couple of months. They came from a smallholding a couple of miles from here, which is actually rather more sheltered than my property.

I reckon 2steps hit the nail on the head - I reckon they've had a fright from something. Apparently we have mink around the area which is enough to scare anything with feathers.