new ex-bats wont come out of coop

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barleymo

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We picked up our ex bat hens yesterday. They went in their run all afternoon and ate and drank well. We put them to bed, with a few squabbles but had a quiet night. However they won't come out this morning. There is a ladder they need to climb down so we appreciate this is new to them. We've tried to persuade them out with food but this didn't work. I've opened the nest boxes at the back, to entice them towards the door, but to no avail. I'm worried as they have no food or water in the house.

What should we do? Do we just leave them to it (there is food and water in their run). It's been 4 hours now since we opened their door.

Advice please for a worried newbie.

Thanks very much
 
I'd pick them up and plonk them in the run Barleymo. Then can you replace the ladder for a plank as all of ours struggled with them and ours have enough feathers to fly to the top? If they haven't got full wing feathers they will be unable to balance properly and a ladder certainly isn't going to work.
 
Thanks. I've been out and put a plank where the ladder was. It's not as steep an incline as the ladder so hopefully that'll help their confidence. I've sprinkled food down it and they are eating it, so I'm hopeful they will start to make their way down the ramp as they get hungrier. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I suppose one bonus is they obviously like the house!!!

They laid 3 eggs this morning, although trod on two of them. Still we're pleased with one nice egg to admire.

Thank you for your support.
 
It worked - 3 of the 6 are out. Thanks so much for your advice. Hopefully the others will soon follow.
 
Hi Barleymow, and a big welcome to the Forum, for you and your new girls.
Moving home is always traumatic for poultry, and with exbatts is even worse because the new place is so unlike the farm where they have come from. They will most probably have been kept in a barn without even any perches, so a ladder must have really taxed their little brains! You may have to show them the way back up the plank this evening, at about 8.30 maybe, because it's quite common for hens to take a few evenings to get used to knowing where to go and what to do, but if they don't go in of their own accord you can try putting a torch inside the coop as a bit of light makes it less scary dark in there and gives them something to aim for. Failing his, just lift them in and make sure they are perching. If any end up on the floor, or in the nestboxes, take them out and put them on the perches. You don't want them getting used to roosting in the nestboxes or they will poo in them and you'll get dirty eggs. After a few nights you will go down and find they've all put themselves to bed and the problem will be over.
How many have you got? What are they like? Any chance you can post some pics?
 
Just a quick update to let you know that the girls have really settled now. I will post some pics at the weekend. The are sing the modified ramp as if they'd done it every day of their lives! They've put themselves to bed four nights in a row and I'm so proud of them. I can't imagine life without them - they really are addictive aren't they!!

Ps. So far we've named three of the six : Eggbertha (big bertha for short), Henny and Screech (she's the noisy one!).
 
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