BDutch's bantam flock & natural breeding projects #5 🪺 🪺 and #6

[MaryJanet]

View attachment 3959815Yesterday evening there must have been an invisible full moon. The chickens went crazy. Around sunset only the 2 black bantams were inside the coop.
Kraai and Janice were roosting high in the pear tree. Ini mini and the Juveniles were roosting on top of the door to the second run.
With the help of MDH a little tactics , mealworms and a we managed to get them in the run. (No photos unfortunately).

A few hours later I checked on them and found Ini mini and Gin in a nestbox. The roost space in small coop is definitely getting too small. But sleeping in a nestbox is a no go. So I took the nest sleepers and put them both in the playhouse.

The worst picture ever of the 2 roosting in the playhouse.
View attachment 3959816

I do hope Ini mini is wise enough to understand this is a better place to roost for the family and will ‘cluck’ to them to sleep the playhouse tomorrow.

I wonder:
Is it a good idea to lock the small coop in the evening before roost time so the family must choose another place to roost?
Or should I check every evening and move the chickens to the playhouse for a while?
Or should I try something else. What would you do?

The one thing I've noticed is that the hens prefer higher perches for roosting. Is there a possibility of raising the perches in the playhouse and then giving them time to recognise it as a better option?

 

[MaryJanet]

How did it go last night ?
I would not lock them out of the small coop because that may lead them to roost in a place that is even worse, like in the trees. If you want them to understand that they are supposed to sleep in the playhouse, I would put them there at night for three nights in a row. If they don't get it by then, you will know that they really don't want to roost there.

Many hens tend to sleep in nests when they are molting and I let them do it because I think they need to feel very safe. I put a fake egg in the nest where they sleep and that stops them from pooping in the nest, but it means a broody poop first thing in the morning. I'm not sure it would work with Gin though !

That's a good point, when I wanted the hens at my house to switch to the new roost, I carried them to it every night after roosting and after several days, they started preferring the new roost.

 

[RoyalChick]

View attachment 3959815Yesterday evening there must have been an invisible full moon. The chickens went crazy. Around sunset only the 2 black bantams were inside the coop.
Kraai and Janice were roosting high in the pear tree. Ini mini and the Juveniles were roosting on top of the door to the second run.
With the help of MDH a little tactics , mealworms and a we managed to get them in the run. (No photos unfortunately).

A few hours later I checked on them and found Ini mini and Gin in a nestbox. The roost space in small coop is definitely getting too small. But sleeping in a nestbox is a no go. So I took the nest sleepers and put them both in the playhouse.

The worst picture ever of the 2 roosting in the playhouse.
View attachment 3959816

I do hope Ini mini is wise enough to understand this is a better place to roost for the family and will ‘cluck’ to them to sleep the playhouse tomorrow.

I wonder:
Is it a good idea to lock the small coop in the evening before roost time so the family must choose another place to roost?
Or should I check every evening and move the chickens to the playhouse for a while?
Or should I try something else. What would you do?

Sorry. I’ve got no useful advice for you, but I love the photo with them on the bench. You should submit it to picture if the week.

 

[BDutch]

The one thing I've noticed is that the hens prefer higher perches for roosting. Is there a possibility of raising the perches in the playhouse and then giving them time to recognise it as a better option?

The perches in the playhouse aren’t low at all. I suspect the location (far away from the coop/extension) is the mayor problem.

 

[BDutch]

Sorry. I’ve got no useful advice for you, but I love the photo with them on the bench. You should submit it to picture if the week.

Thanks for the reminder. Submitted.

 

[BDutch]

Gin or Tonic was sleeping in a nestbox.
The others were on their usual roost.

Timing was too difficult in combination with preparing diner and a guest. After dark I put Gin/Tonic on the roost in the extension, there was a nice empty spot in between the older hens.

I might wait another 2 weeks (time set to winter time) to move the family to the playhouse for a few nights at a row.

 

[BDutch]

The crazy family on top of the entrance to the second run.

It seems this is their favourite spot to roost now. Of course I made them come down and lured them inside with some mixed grains and a few mealworms.

Checked where the family went to sleep before dinner while MDH was finishing te table. Gin , Tonic and Ini mini were in a nest-box. Moved all 3 to the playhouse. Only one (Gin?) was protesting.
The protester and Ini mini went to sleep on a stool (lower than the lowest roost) and Tonic ( ?) was roosting on the highest roost. An hour later they didn’t move more than an inch even though I let a tiny light on for them to settle.

Waiting another 2 weeks seems a no go.

 

[BDutch]

Today I was right in time to lock the chickens in the run.
30 minutes later, when it was getting dark I found Ini mini and Gin or Tonic in the nest box, again.
-> to the playhouse coop. They both came out right away, wanting to return to the coop.

Katrientje came outside right too , curious and interested in goodies as usual. My timing was totaly wrong . The pop door closed. Three chickens were locked out. I had some leftovers (sliced pieces of carrot, pumpkin and parsnip peel) to make them a bit happy at least.

After dinner when it got completely dark, I was pleased to see these 3 went to sleep in the playhouse. I decided to take the other Gin or Tonic of the roost and put her next to Katrientje on the lower roost. Gin/Tonic got a peck and decided to move. Much better to sleep next to her sister on the highest roost.

 

[BDutch]

Thursday evening

The family splits up now. Friday night Ini mini and Gin or Tonic , slept in the playhouse. By themselves. And the nestbox was empty.

Saturday night only Ini mini was there. Gin was laying in the nestbox again. I wanted to pick her up, to put her next to Ini mini, but wasn’t fast enough.
She went to the extension to sleep there, and out of reach.
I decided to move the others to the playhouse. Black was no problem. But Whisky and Tonic both screamed when I grabbed them.

I hope I didn’t traumatise the Amrocks. I try to move any nest sleepers for another week and want to make sure Ini mini is not sleeping alone in the playhouse. She deserves the company of at least one of her teenagers.

I also hope , moving Black too will make a difference in their choice tomorrow. The family should realise by now the playhouse is a much better (spacious) place to the spend the night.

 

[BDutch]

Katrientje is broody again. I lost count this year.

I lowered the perches in the small coop. So their roosting spot is altered and if the Amrocks still want to roost in the small space their bodies/heads won’t hit the ceiling.

To my surprise Ini mini and all 3 Amrocks roost in the playhouse now. Black joined the other hens in the extension and Katrientje went back to the nestbox after sunset. (Took her out again).

It seems the fuzz comes to an end.

I made a plan today to install the auto pop door on the playhouse at window height/instead of the window.

My DD’s boyfriend makes a piece of plywood in the right size to start with. Im going to take the windows out, make a kind of windowsill and a chicken ladder to the entrance. Screw the plywood on the window frame , cut a hole in the plywood and finally mount the chicken door.