4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Ian47]

Got my cube and five chooks today and have spent the afternoon chook watching and bbq'ing. Carol , my wife , asked how will they know where to sleep. Don't worry says I according to the omlet forum you stick a torch in the cube when it gets dark and they go into the light, just like the end of your favourite film Ghost. Except they didn't....

They tried roosting on top of the glug , grub ,and the edge of the dust bath, anywhere but the cube. So I put two to bed through the roof got the third , stuck her in, whent to get the fourth only to find the I;d just put in coming down the ladder. done this three times, with the same little madam and then shut the door and went to get the wife to help me as I climbed through the little run door to get the other two and put them through the cube door with Carol ready to shut the door when they were all in.

Thankfully all 5 are now tucked up in bed and I'm picking aubiose out of my socks. Does anyone think that I may have to do this again or are they likely to remember where they last slept?

Thanks

Ian

[Janty]

If you do have to do it again, it won't be for long. They soon get the hang of it.

 

 

Have fun with your girls. I started off with seven in one cube and now look what we've got. They are addictive.

[Redwing]

No idea! but reading your post made me laugh

 

Congrats on your new chooks, you sound just like the right type of chicken dad

 

Hopefully someone will be along with something more constructive soon!

 

Hope you get it sorted, if not you could televise your nightly ritual!

Edited September 16, 2008 by Guest

[chucknette]

Sorry Ian I had to laugh!

 

They should find their way pretty quickly now that they are in there for their first night.

 

I must admit that I had to turn every light off in the house so that the torch was the only light shining and they got the idea.

 

Must admit I have never had to climb into the cube run, which I am glad of because Im definately not built to do that.

 

Happy hen keeping

 

Best wishes

[Sandychick]

The torch trick worked for mine on the first night. The second night they knew where to go by themselves. You will probably find they will put themselves to bed tomorrow night now they know what to do

 

Enjoy them

[Ian47]

No idea! but reading your post made me laugh

 

Congrats on your new chooks, you sound just like the right type of chicken dad

 

Hopefully someone will be along with something more constructive soon!

 

Hope you get it sorted, if not you could televise your nightly ritual!

 

 

Son is already thinking of setting a webcam up in the run. I need to make sure he doesn't see this post or there will be video's of me with my head down and bum skyward on youtube. lol

[JulesL]

Hehehehe! Lets hope they cotton on to it soon!

 

I was really worried the first night I had my girls thinking they wouldn't know where to go but they were fine. The only problem I find now is that they don't go to bed until it is completely dark (seem to enjoy a feast in the middle of the lawn once it is really dark) so I have to walk up the garden in the pitch black now to shut them in.

 

Have started sending my DP up now to shut them in so he can get dive bombed by our resident bat!

[Redwing]

I'm still laughing!

 

let us know how you get on over the next few days!

[Nuggywoo]

If you actually shut them up inside their 'home' for about 48 hrs they'll know exactly where to go at bedtime in the future - they won't need reminding.

 

Obviously with plenty of water and food

[BeckyBoo]

If you have to do it again (I'm having to do it with the last lot of chicks who refuse to go in ) then SHUT THE DOOR FIRST! Then you can stuff 'em in through the egg port and they can't escape. Took me until the second night to work it out, as fast as I was stuffing them in they were running back out again

'Fraid to say I'm STILL putting the chicks to bed - TWO WEEKS LATER but tonight TWO had gone in of their own accord, not just the one, so they will get there. Eventually

 

Mrs B

[Ian47]

If you have to do it again (I'm having to do it with the last lot of chicks who refuse to go in ) then SHUT THE DOOR FIRST! Then you can stuff 'em in through the egg port and they can't escape. Took me until the second night to work it out, as fast as I was stuffing them in they were running back out again

'Fraid to say I'm STILL putting the chicks to bed - TWO WEEKS LATER but tonight TWO had gone in of their own accord, not just the one, so they will get there. Eventually

 

Mrs B

 

Thanks Mrs B,

With hindsight this would have been the more sensible thing to do, but being a complete newbie I thought get a couple in and the rest will follow but despite a couple of half hearted attempts at climbing the ladder the other three didn't get the idea. Tomorrow night if they still haven't cottoned on I'll use your suggestion and close the door first before doing my chicken george impression.

Managed to get most of the auboise out of my socks and then chucked them in the wash hoping Carol won't notice.

Regards Ian

[dancing cloud]

 

Shouldn't laugh, but it's not been a good day and this made me giggle! Glad no one was there to record me doing my yoga move through the tiny door of the Cube run to put my lot to bed the first night - would have definitely frightened small children

 

I waited till it was quite dark and they were very drowsy before attempting the putting to bed, which mean they were less likely to try any great escape manouevres, and then picked them up, put them through the pop-hole and shut them in till morning. Being ex-batts they hadn't ever been to bed before, so it was a whole new experience.

 

Next morning I opened the pop-hole and let them find their own way out and by the fourth night they were all taking themselves to bed properly. At one point or another I think they've all tried sleeping elsewhere (the roof of the Cube was favourite ), but since they were noisy little madams very early one morning, they've all had to go in and be shut in.

 

Don't worry, they do catch on very quickly and just think of all the joy you're bringing to your family in the meantime (and how sweet the revenge can be )

[Ian47]

Dont worry about laughing people that was the intent as well as getting advice, you should of heard Carol and 16yr old dd at the time. It's getting dark now and am limbering up to get my shoulders through the door again if needed ( must do the door conversion ). Tonights performance comences at 7.30 pm and hopefully wont make the ten o'clock news.

Ian

[Ian47]

Update.......

Went out at 7.30 and stuck the torch in through the roof. After some gentle coaxing ("go on girls follow the light Patrick Swayze's waiting") 4 of the girls made it up the ladder but top chook Berlinda got as far as the top rung and thought better of it so muggings here had to contort like a shoalin monk again and get through the door to put her to bed. Her street cred must be in tatters. Carol recons I now qualify to wear an orange nightie and live in a monastry half way up a mountain in Tibet.

At least we're getting there. Tomorrow should be better.

They did struggle with the cube ladder , however. Any thoughts on making a wooden slatted insert for it. Could do it in ten mins as have the material to hand.

Thanks again

Ian

Edited September 17, 2008 by Guest

[chucknette]

Ian you are so funny

 

 

Cant help with the ladder Im afraid but Im sure somebody will.

 

Best Wishes

[Lydia]

Very funny Ian! :lol; Don't worry, they will all get it....eventually

 

As regards the ladder none of our ladies could manage the cube ladder either - we think it was the angle that was too steep and the fact it doesn't meet the floor (mind you they are all fairly elderly). Hubby made another one out of a plank of wood and cut more wood to size to make the rungs, screwed it to the cube and problem solved.

[Lisa]

I'm tired and needed a good laugh before I went to bed Thank you

 

I don't have a cube but mine have always been very good at going to bed. Only had a problem on their first day free ranging! Cleo found her way in and I arrived to find Dilly and Gerry outside the egg port talking to her through the eglu side. I am sure they were asking her how she managed to get in there. We gave them a point in the right direction. The next night they were fine except Cleo tried to roost on some old wood behind the shed. Since then they have been fine!!

 

Good luck - I might have a look for Ian and his escapades on U tube later!!!

[Ian47]

update on the update......

Got home from work today at 6.30pm had dinner and went to watch the chooks for half an hour before they go to bed. Noticed that the grub was getting low so mixed up some more pellets bran and garlic. Low and behold whilst doing this they started putting themselves to bed. All five made it although a little undignified (there was much flapping and showing of bums through knickers ) But at least they made it so no more crawling through run door.

Hopefully this means they'll be ok from now on. To close I'd just like to say thanks for the advice from everyone and hope you don't mind if this newbie comes back with further questions in the future.

best regards

Ian

 

P.S

I sent the orange nightie back ....... it didn't fit right.

[mostin]

Post as many as you like Ian if they are that amusing .

 

I am a newbie too and I have peppered this forum with silly questions over the past few weeks. Everyone has been lovely and given me loads of sensible advice. it is such a lifeline and confidence booster to know that someone somewhere will be able to answer your question, no matter how daft you think it is.

 

Keep on cluckin'