I am feeling elated. Four nights and we have totally cracked it. We went up to the girls before our evening meal at seven o’clock and were surprised to find no girls in the run.
The girls had all gone in on their own
Peaches and Barley were together on the top rung of the ladder and the rest of the girls were on the high shelf
When I checked back after dinner at half past seven they were all on the high shelf
Later again, eight o’clock, they were still on the high shelf but some of the girls were now standing up and the order had changed
I really don’t care what order, where they choose to sit or if they sit or stand, the thing is they are all in. I am so absolutely pleased, no blown away, that they are going in on their own so soon. Evening four and they are going in on their own, it’s better than I had imagined. I call this a success and all now worthwhile. I am just so elated that I have no further words.
At last, all is good in the chicken coop and long may it be so!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
This could be a scene from ‘The Night Before Christmas’: you’ve made it!
I am elated with this result.
YEA!!! Such smart girls. And they love their new house.
I am amazed and thrilled that they took to it so quickly.
I knew you could do it ….sorry slip of the tongue , they ! 🙂
Well done all x
I am blown away by how well this has worked. I feel confident now that there won’t be any bedtime problems from now on. I feel confident enough to spend a night away.
Why did you put a shelf in rather than a perch? Doesn’t it mean they’re going to poop all over it and sit in it all night?
We got the idea because on the farm where we got the wyndottes and the game girls the farmer had a high shelf and the chooks were roosting on it. We felt that in our confined space it would be safer for the girls as they can only get to it from the ladder and it would making moving along it safer.
The shelf is away from the back of the shed and last night all the poop had dropped over the back into the shavings below so this actually works well.
The other thing is that they seem to prefer it as during the day their favourite places to sit are the tables and the flat perch above the table and they used to like my little chair too.
All things considered we felt happier with this arrangement and as no girl was on the ladder last night (all the poop was under the shelf this morning) it seems they prefer it too.
Barleys comb looks like a sleeping mask! Though it could be just the angle of the camera…
No, that is how Barley’s comb is. It is quite ridiculous. It completely covers one eye and she has to turn in the other direction to be able to see. I always think of Barley’s comb as a huge crown and Peaches as a mop cap. Barley’s comb is much bigger than Peaches and that is how I can tell them apart in an instant. It’s ridiculous, but endearing.
When I see hens with that big of a comb, I think “Wow, I wonder how big the rooster’s is…” 😉 Probably doubles as an extra wattle!
Wow, imagine if Barley was a rooster! She/he wouldn’t be able to see at all. At least I can tell it’s Barley at a glance because of her bigger comb.