Reassurance needed please!

[SamanthaFox]

We got our girls today. They are gorgeous, despite having refused to go in the ark and run about the garden for a while, much to my panic.
I got them in, then opened it and eventually they wandered out and about, just for a while.

I have genuinely no idea what I am doing. It's a triangular ark with run underneath.

Tonight I spent a good half hour trying to get them to go up the ladder...they are new to ladders and wouldn't. So I closed the ladder, and crawled in and grabbed each in turn and put them in the pop hole in the nesting area upstairs. They sort of agreed to this but only under duress.

there was some grumbling and noise from them up there, it's very dark inside - they are 14 weeks, do they need the perch? One of them was sitting on it, the rest trying to get their heads into their food tray.

Should I remove the food tray tonight? I thought rats might come if I left it in the run, but I have no idea if they need to eat during the night or not, or will they just poo in it.
I am worried about the catches on the doors, whether they have enough headroom, enough light (basically none!)

I'd be really grateful for any advice on these issues. Thankyou.

Don't worry about them - they will be fine. We are fairly new to chicken keeping too. Our chickens are quite happy in the dark but they grumble a lot normally. Ours don't perch - they don't sit on the straw in their house.

I leave our food tray out at night. I don't think our chickens eat during the night but they get up v early in the morning and I leave their door open so they can get up whenver they want.

They will be happy as long as they have plenty of food, water, somewhere to wander about. Just relax and enjoy watching their antics.

Putting them into the house tonight was a good move - they need to be taught what to do. They might find their way out in the morning, or they might need a shove down the ladder to help them find their way. If they don't get up in the morning, they need a helping shove. In theory, once they've left the ark, they'll know how to get back in.

They'll probably also need to be taught to use the perch, so plonk them on it when they're dozy and they'll happily stay there all night.

The same goes for laying eggs too - you'll probably need to teach them where you want them to lay. We use a couple of hard boiled eggs (clearly marked) in the nest boxes which gives them a heads up about what's expected.

No light at night is good. They need to sleep and light keeps them awake. They don't eat at night, but they do poo. A lot.

I'd be tempted to keep them in the arc and run for a day or two so they get used to their new home; then let them out into the garden. You might have to repeat the putting them through the pop hole and plonking on perches for a few nights until they do it on their own.

Wise words daisy. Enjoy your lovely new girls!

Congrats on your new chickens!!

We haven't got ours yet (next weekend, hopefully ) but i did read on one of the poultry forums (and someone with experience, please, correct me if I'm wrong) that they shouldn't have access to the perches until they're ready to start laying because perching might effect development of a bone (begins with K). Sorry, a bit vague and not much help!

Enjoy your chooks.

Thankyou all very much for the brill info

I went to check on them after a bit, and they were all huddled, quite happily dozing on the floor behind the perch!
They looked so small when they were asleep.

I think I heard them snore a bit

I'll go let them out now, into the run - some of them managed getting down the ladder yesterday, when I had put them in the top once or twice, so they can get down -it's just what time they need to be put to bed, really, or when to expect them to go up themlseves.

I think I'll leave the perch for when they are ready - one in particular sat on it for a bit yesterday evening so I know she can, but I guess they all prefer the floor for now.

Thanks again.

That's great Samantha ... how many do you have & what breeds?

Hi Millie, you know me from another thread but don't say who I am!

there are four...a cuckoo maran, copper black, white sussex and Rhode.
They are gorgeous. I keep going out there and just watching them. Stuff the children, I have new babies now

Do you have a place figured out to get yours from yet? Our farm is brilliant - they are so lovely and helpful. They have a massive field full of random chickens and different houses and runs for them, but most are just free range everywhere. It's inspiring.

Btw, most of them are now able to get up the ladder, but I keep it at a shallower angle than it's meant to be at, held up a bit off the ground by the string. They seem to find it too steep otherwise.

once you have three upstairs the other one generally hears them and wants to join them! So hops up by themself.

... ditto!

They sound wonderful ... have you got a chair set up yet?! They must be so cute hopping up and down the ladder. You're one week into chicken ownership now ... do you feel like an experienced chicken-mummy yet?!

Yep ... have settled on one breeder who has large fowl & Pekins - although the Pekins will follow a few weeks after the others.