over easy Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 i have heard previously people talk about the torch trick but no one has ever actually said what this is, i assume it refers to somehow gettin chooks into the run can anyone enlighten me, excuse the pun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 yes, sometimes when chooks are new to the eglu they are not sure where to roost. Apparently by shining the torch throught the egg port the chooks are supposed to follow the light into the eglu! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 If you can't get your girls into the eglu at night you can shine a torch in through the eggport as they tend to follow where the light is and they will then go into the eglu. If you want to train them to go back into the run a jar with their favourite treats in that you can rattle usually does the trick - if you use the same jar/tin they will learn to recogmise it and come running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Hi, the torch trick is where you shine torch to get the chooks attention and then point the beam in through the eglu door. apparently the chickens follow the beam into the eglu and then decide that they may as well go to bed as they are in there anyway. and snuggle up and go to sleep . the only problem is that this doesnt work with cubes - or rather I have never managed to get it to work - maybe our chickens are just naughty little girls and want to stay up late hope this helps cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Great minds think alike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 and fools seldom differ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 there is always the 'broom' trick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellekatz Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Broom trick? ( envisions running round the lawn trying to chase chickens only to have them run out as I go after the next ones ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 No the broom trick is only to be used when you have them trapped in the run. You give them an ever so gentle shove with the broom to encourage them into the Eglu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I've never had any success with the torch trick. The broom on the other hand works a treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyTikkaNoodles Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Torch trick worked with our girls on their first day with us today. We had to leave the torch in the Eglu and disappear and leave them to it for 5 minutes before they would all go in. Came back and found them all cosy so closed the door, opened the egg port, retrieved the torch and left them cuddling together in the cold and dark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I must have been doing it wrong. I was waving it about like a thing possessed. Welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chili pepper Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 We used the torch trick the first night we got our girls, the broom trick wasn't working and the nieghbours came out to see what all the fuss was about - squawking chickens, Me and OH disagreeing on the method, children laughing at us and the dogs getting rather excited too! Torch trick worked a treat and only ever had to do it the first night, from then on they knew exactly what to do I take delivery of my cube on 5th March and if the torch trick doesn't work Cathy, what did you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 You will have to get one of the children to squeeze in through the run door and help them up the ladder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I can normally get the girls into the run with a bowl of weetabix and raisins Kev thinks its hillarious, they see me coming and are in and ready before ive put it on the floor thy usually go to bed on their own, but one sits in the cube door and waits until we come out to shut them in, and then she makes a run for it and they all get up wait till the patio light goes off, give them 10 minutes and try again. sometimes, this works on the first attempt, other times we leave them open all night (the cube - not the run) as they just wont go to bed just as I said before - I have 6 naughty girls cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyTikkaNoodles Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I must have been doing it wrong. I was waving it about like a thing possessed. Welcome to the forum. Thank you. Will see whether the torch trick is needed tonight. Not sure whether the girls will be able to move by then or whether they will be frozen! I guess this was not the best time to take delivery of them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
over easy Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thank you all for your help. Our girls have settled and look very happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 The "Broom Trick" works to get them back into the run for Theodore & Matilda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I used the torch trick when the girls were new, but in the dusk Cava could see me bending down with the torch in the egg port but she couldn't see the mesh of the run and decided she would try and fly up and roost on me. So after she banged her head on the run a couple of times, I had to duck down and hide behind the eglu and reach round with the torch in the egg port but at the same time stopping the others hopping out of the egg port. After a couple of nights of this I got a little torch and put it in the poop tray and left them to it. It didn't take them too long to learn what to do and I didn't need to use it again until I built them a walk in run with the eglu up on a worktop height shelf and for the first couple of nights they wanted to roost underneath the shelf! Only time I have trouble with a torch now is if I use one to light my way up the garden to tuck them up after they have gone to bed and, unless I am very careful to hold it pointing down, they see the light and all get up again! and by the time I get into the run they are all trooping down the ladder to say hello Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I've been caught out going out there with the torch to lock them up for the night and they come out of the eglu into the run because they're so nosey and they don't want to miss anything. If mine are still free ranging when it gets dark they hang around outside the back kitchen door or on top of the dog's kennel which is outside the kitchen window, so they definitely go towards light. I can certainly see the logic in leaving a torch in the eglu so they know where to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...