taz1967 Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Hi All Last night we had to show the chickens how to use the ladder and put them to bed at about 9.30pm ish. Am i expecting them to go to bed too early. SHould I let them make there own way in tonight and go off to bed myself. But with that in mind we do have the odd fox come into the garden and Im loathed to leave them out all night. What should I do????????? gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tara Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Hi they will get the hang of the ladder but your doing the right thing putting them in mine go to bed between 9 and 9.30 at the moment we have a walk in run but l still make sure all the locks are done up as there is ducks in there as well and im backwards and forwards in the evening sorting them out.Let us know how you get on tonight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taz1967 Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Just about to go place a torch in the cube in the hope that it entices them in. I did build a ramp today to go over the ladder I its the one thing I dont like about the cube, so fingers crossed they will use that. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 With the lighter evenings, ours go to bed 10ish, but I do go out there and bolt the WIR door and shut the pop hole in the hen-house after they have settled down. If you have foxes visiting I wouldn't leave the hens door open, it will most certainly come and you will lose all of your girls. Foxes have the terrible habit of killing everything even though they only need one to eat. As Tara said, they will get the hang of how things are and go to bed by themselves but make sure you lock up for them. Never get complacent about foxes, there are plenty of very sad stories to read on the forum about members losing their girls. We never see foxes where we live but I wouldn't go to bed and leave everything open.....just in case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taz1967 Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 Dont worry. I dont really want to leave doors open etc. would rather hen handle them to bed. Gary PS put torch inside cube. they getting bit advenureous as looking and trying to go up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I put ours to bed for the first two nights and then watched from our bedroom the third night and they did it all by themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honorandkit Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Ours faffed about the first night (we don't have a cube, but have a wooden house on 18 inch legs with a ladder). Second night - 2 took themselves in, 2 had to be persuaded. 3rd night - all in bed unaided. Ever since then, they take themselves off between 7.30-8.30pm, and we shut up the pop hole at about 9.30pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taz1967 Posted June 15, 2010 Author Share Posted June 15, 2010 whooooo. RESULT. Put torch in cube and within 20mins they took themselves off to the light.......... Thanks you so much. at least they dont it themselves now. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
