Smart Door Power Options

[Chook n Boo Mum]

If they are freeranging, our 3 come & knock on the back door for their tea at about 3.30 (or 1 hour before dusk - clever girls!), when they have hot mash & corn delivered to their run, or popped outside the back door, depends how I'm feeling (lazy or not !!) or if we are going out & may not be back in time for tea, they get put back in the run with their bowl & the gate closed.

If we're home, we close the gate just before dusk & leave them to go to bed in their own sweet time, then go out later &close the eglu. It has been forgotten til nearly our bedtime on occasion, because Everyone thinks Someone else has done it, but No-one has!

I insist that the grubs and bowls are brought in every night, to reduce the vermin risk & so the water doesn't freeze, then it's all returned fresh & hot (mash) when I'm awoken by the hairballs! Once they've eaten their breakie, they are allowed out to roam - saves the dogs having to do their "washing up" as hopefully they'll have eaten everything in the bowl (& the dogs can't reach into the grub ) & means they have a square meal before they graze for the day on goodness knows what delicacies they find... !!

 

I rarely have to bribe them, but a handful of sweetcorn usually suffices... I'm breeding mealworms at the moment (she says hopefully!!!) ready for their first moult & to use as treats - I think I'm more fascinated than the rest of the family it has to be said!

 

Sha x

[helenmb]

Where can I get mealworms?

I get my (live) mealworms from here its free postage too. I keep them in one of the plastic boxes that they sell and sprinkle them with mealworm food (you can buy this from them too or from WigglyWigglers - they sell the worms as well but more expensive) that way they keep for ages (well if the girls had their way thay wouldn't last very long at all ).

I'm not squeemish about handling the live critters but I know some folks are so you can usually buy dried ones from anywhere that sells wild bird food supplies. Although my girls vastly prefer the live ones to the dried and I have read somewhere that they are slightly more nutritious then the dried too.

[Ygerna]

I bought 2.5lt tub of dried mealworms today from our Garden Centre. It was on offer at £9.99, usually £14.99. I am not sure if thats a good deal or not but I was happy to pay it for today. I sall use them to entice the girls back into their run at about 2.30pm, as I have to go to collect my son at 3pm.

 

Last night, I got them into the run about 3.30 and then just went out and closed the door when I saw that they were all tucked up for the night.

 

Thanks for all your help and advice.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I get mine here cheapest I have found for 3KG

 

http://www.wildbirdfood.uk.com/cgi-shl/os000004.pl?ACTION=Start

[Happy chickens!]

Very disappointed - bought a small tub of mealworms today for the girls, and they weren't impressed! (Nor was I, I see now how someone on a previous thread thought they looked alive...) I like getting all the ideas from you all, can't win em all!

 

On the subject of bedtime, after feeling quite smug that my girls were putting themselves to bed without any fuss, my boss chicken has decided that she likes to wait for me to come out to shut the door so that she can be carried to bed! That's 3 nights in a row now, all the other 5 snuggly tucked up. If she were the lowest in the pecking order I could understand, but definitely not the case!!

[sandyhas3chucks]

one of mine really likes to wait for me to tell her to go to bed , but like you say, this one was lowest & was getting bullied and I would tell the ithers off, also it was getting darker still when she went in & the others probably calmer. they soon pick upbad habits! cute ones but bad

[sandyhas3chucks]

Very disappointed - bought a small tub of mealworms today for the girls, and they weren't impressed! (Nor was I, I see now how someone on a previous thread thought they looked alive...) I like getting all the ideas from you all, can't win em all!

 

On the subject of bedtime, after feeling quite smug that my girls were putting themselves to bed without any fuss, my boss chicken has decided that she likes to wait for me to come out to shut the door so that she can be carried to bed! That's 3 nights in a row now, all the other 5 snuggly tucked up. If she were the lowest in the pecking order I could understand, but definitely not the case!!

maybe they just weren't hungry or don't see them as food yet!

[Ygerna]

I was so happily excited when I went out to put my girls into the run. As I went out into the Garden two of them came hurtling accross the garden towards me, wings flapping, bok boking! They were pleased to see me I rewarded them with a small scoop of mealworms and they were very happy to eat them.

 

I went back out again at about 4.45 after my eldest told me that they were all in bed,they were so I shut the door

 

I think we may have it sorted now, woohoo

[jill the potter]

Decided tonight, with the forecast being for -4 /-7, that I would close the eglu door. Trying to be quiet, but not succeeding, due to the crunchy snow, I hadn't got past the end of the run when the girls came bok-boking out of the elgu. Have tried 3 times so far and each time they've come out to see what I'm doing!!!! Tried to explain that I'm doing it to keep them warm! Finally rather than trying to creep round slowly I just made a mad dash and got the door shut before they could come out, but got the distinct impression that they were 'not amused' lots of grumbling noises. Of course this means I will have to be out extra early to let them out in the morning or there will be more reprisals!!

[Redwing]

Mine are the same Jill - I end up going out the front door and in the side gate to catch them out, that way they don't hear the back door go and come out

 

If they play me up too much I shut the door half way and leave them to it

[sandyhas3chucks]

they are funny individuals aren't they, mine wouldn't dream of getting up once they are snuggled up for the night, they just look up at the hatch hole & say goodnight as I shut the door. Although my nocturnal muncher would get herself up if she could for a snack, but not at going to bed time, "oh no.... get up? not us my dear"

[jill the potter]

well, just as I thought! After all my efforts last night, in an effort to keep the girls warm, they were not 'happy bunnies' this morning I went to open the eglu door at 7.45am (not unreasonable I think) and to defrost the water, gots lots of complaining noises from them so felt obliged to give them some warm porridge as a peace offering OH says i'll get them into bad habits - oh, like they're not already!!!! he doesn't know the half!!

[Happy chickens!]

At least they are not frozen! You just can't please some girls!

[helenmb]

Very disappointed - bought a small tub of mealworms today for the girls, and they weren't impressed! (Nor was I, I see now how someone on a previous thread thought they looked alive...) I like getting all the ideas from you all, can't win em all!

Blimey my lot would mob you for them!

[ruth1]

I must admit my lot prefer corn, it took a few go's for them to associate the mealworms as a treat, but now they mug you for anything when you go in the door,

The two pekins however adore mealworms and make little squeaky noises when you give them some it always makes me laugh