Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[helenc]

When we built our run we put some planks of wood across one side about halfway up the height like a shelf so the hens could jump on and off it

 

 

2 days ago I noticed a lot of poo on the 'shelf' and not much in the eglu, and thought they must be sleeping up there, last night I went to check and sure enough 3 were sleeping there and 1 was in the eglu.

 

Should I leave them or should I put them in the eglu, I'm just concerned that whilst the weather is ok now would they carry on sleeping there when the weather turns colder in winter

 

Thank you

 

Helen

Edited September 7, 2008 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

I'd move them to get them used to sleeping in the Eglu. Can you remove the shelf later in the day?

 

Chances are they will probably opt for the Eglu when the weather changes anyway.

[helenc]

Thank you Egluntine

 

The shelf is nailed on so I can't take it off I will go in and move them into the eglu tonight, they have only been doing it the last couple of nights, we have had them for 2 months and we moved them into the new run 2 weeks ago so I don't know why they have suddenly just started to sleep up there

[Bootscooter Nell]

Hi Helen,

My 3 girls have a walk in run like yours with an eglu and roosting bar. All three will settle down at night on the roosting bar when it starts getting dusk. So every night, I trundle into the pen, saying 'Bedtime Girls' to be greeted with a series of boking. I pick Lisa up first and have a cuddle and she gets put into the eglu. Followed by Marj and finally Maggie. I love this routine because it means I get to have a cuddle with them all before bedtime.

 

Occasionally, both Lisa and Marj take themselves off to bed but in the 3 months that I've had them Maggie has not once gone to bed on her own. Perhaps she just likes her cuddles too much

 

I did consider taking out the roosting bar but they love sitting on it so much that I didn't have the heart. At the end of the day, it is only a problem when I go away somewhere overnight as my daughter who looks after them isn't keen on picking them up. I am hoping that they will start taking themselves off to bed when the weather gets colder.

[helenc]

Well every night since I first posted about this I have had to put at least 3 of them to bed, even when the weather was terrible.

 

I was getting fed up having an easy to clean eglu and a hard to clean pooy shelf so we have had a redesign over the weekend.

 

We have removed the shelf and made a 'table' to put the eglu on with some ladders up tp it and then made some roosting bars instead of the shelf for them to jump/fly on and off.

 

Last night after we had finished it we went to see where they were - all happily in the eglu!! So it looks like they just wanted to be up higher. I will try to put some photos on tomorrow

[Bootscooter Nell]

Hi Helen,

Glad to hear that you have got your girls going to bed on their own. Mine would opt to sit on the roosting bars at night regardless I think. I put it down to the fact that they lived in a barn before we had them and that is what they slept on.

 

Between you and me and anyone else that reads this post, I don't think my girls like their eglu. They really hate going to bed. When I put them to bed last night I turned my back to get Maggie and Marj came sneaking back out. I stood there and pointed to the eglu, saying 'bed Marj' and after walking around the eglu twice she reluctlently went in. You could just see the little beak pouting and the slumped shoulders as she dawdled back in.

 

I mentioned to hubby about raising the eglu to utilise the space more efficiently and to get them off the cold ground when we were having all that rain. He is quite happy to do it. How high did you make your 'table' and have the girls coped okay with going up the ladder? I'd love to see the photos if you get around to it. It is certainly something I might consider doing. I can add it to the list of hubby's jobs along with the raised beds, base for the greenhouse and the decorating - poor man, he never gets any rest!!!

[helenc]

We made the top about 1m square and the legs are about 1 m off the ground. We attached the legs and the top to the frame of the run to give stability as we wanted to put the bars from one end of the run to the 'table' if that makes sense.

 

 

 

 

hopefully the photos will show what I am trying to say

[Bootscooter Nell]

It looks fabulous, thanks for sharing the photos. It certainly gives them a lot more space to move around in. I assume you just twist the eglu around to remove the tray. It'll be much easier to clean I can imagine too. Do they use the ramp okay?

 

It'll be worth doing just for that reason alone although if it has the added benefit of my girls happily going to bed on their own it's would be well worth it.

 

Marj has just come into the office to tell me that Lisa and Maggie are fighting on the roost again which they do every night before they settle down. Eventually Marj will sit in between the two of them to sort them out. It's gone very quiet out there. 7:50pm and it is pitch black now, another 10 minutes and it'll be time to put them to bed.

[helenc]

Yes it does give them more room as although the run is 3m square 1m square was where the eglu was

 

Yes I just swivel the eglu round to get at the nesting box and tray and as my lot like to dig (my daughter thinks they are trying to get to Australia!!) the eglu got dirty and buried quickly so was awkward to get the tray out when it was on the ground plus theres no bending down.

 

They manage the ramp fine, in fact its an extra plaything for them as they jump on and off it, but I did put each one in the eglu after we had set it up to make sure that they knew how to get back out again, I was worried they might not know where the nesting box was but they were fine with that too.

 

I'm really pleased with it.

[sandyhas3chucks]

brilliant postings.great photo. good ideas

I have one that I am sure likes me to go sit outside the run till she finally goes to bed, I too have to tell her to go to bed!

Who would have thought they would be so bright?