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wonder if anyone has some ideas on how to get my 4 new girls to stop roosting on top of the hen house and to go in by them selves
the intial squabbling appears to have settled but they insist on settling for the nite on top of the house and i cant convince them otherwise

Can you keep them inside more? It might seem cruel not to let them range more freely but you want them to get used to inside the henhouse as home. If your henhouse has an enclosed area, you could keep them in that for a few days. Once they get a sense of home, you can then let them wander more freely again but with a greater chance that they will put themselves to bed.

Wulf

I didn't even let my first lot of newbies outside into the run at all for the first few days - they have a huge shed bigger than a standard French bedroom anyway. Now I do because there are always oldies to show them the ropes.

Glad yours sorted themselves out Susie Gee.

Can you put a light in the house, even just a torch? It will attract them inside when it starts to get dark.

Otherwise, chuck a handful of corn into the house and they'll run in after it. Then shut the pop hole after them sharpish.

Zoe

This post made me chuckle...remembered when we got our first cockerel. It was a rare breed which was going to be knocked on the head as our friend had several hatch at once. We left him (the cockerel!!) in the run with the girls and went out for the evening with friends. On our return we looked in the chicken house to check all ok...no cockerel ! Soo at gone midnight four of us were crawling round the run with torches trying to find him!! I would love to have had a video of it as we were all dressed up...heels etc!! Eventually found him roosting very high up in the hedge and had to persuade him down (the foxes thought we were the local takeaway!! scaled 8ft fences, broke through wire!! I did not want to risk losing him!). He never did make the grade...scared of the girls and they chased him round and pecked him featherless. He did seem to like the ducks better so spent a while in with them till we gave him back to our friend who had lost his lot to the foxes! The corn usually works (as suggested by Zoe) and they get used to the idea of going in at dusk fairly soon.

think i may be getting some where with them two put them selves to bed to night but think i have sussed the problem i had a ratherlarge red mite population so after chatting to the vet got some deosan deosect to spray about and hopefully that will get rid of the little mites will keep you all posted