LizzieLloyd Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 On Saturday we thought we would make our new WIR more exciting by adding some perching platforms and a couple of ladders for the girls to reach them. We let them FR in tha garden whilst we did the building work and had an almighty job getting them back in the WIR when it started getting dark which involved us having to take out one of the ladders which seemed to be unsettling them. Yesterday our girls seemed very disgruntled with the additions and wouldnt venture from their house into the run even for mealworms (most odd!) and this morning were still quite stroppy and flighty. Is this normal behaviour and have others experienced this kind of behaviour. We've made quite major changes in their environment before and they seemed to take it in their stride. I'm hoping we havent taken them a step too far... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alet_chicken Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi, that sounds exactly like some of my girls behaved when they first moved into the WIR. It turns out that some of my chickens don't like change. It did calm down within a couple of days, when they realised that there was no reason to be scared (or more to the point, their love of mealworms overcame their fear!). It may take a couple of days for them to get used to the changes (which sound great by the way). Positive reinforcement with plenty of treats in the run / around the new additions might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Thanks for the reply. They are still in the house today and look as though they spent most of yesterday in there aswell. If it doesnt improve by the weekend I'll take the ladders out. Its a shame as I thought I was improving their home not making them miserable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leicester_H Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 We had some branches that OH made into free-standing perches - all OK. Bit left over, made into something else (small - difficult to explain) - they were 'terrified' of it !! Had to take it out. Left outside, they got used to it - all OK now. Nowt as mad as chickens! H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 My last year's growers were absolutely terrified by a seed tray filled with lettuce grown just for them! They don't like change Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omletina Kyckling Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I love that photo, Jules! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Thank you It was pretty funny watching them pluck up the courage to investigate further! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 That photo is superb! Silly chickies. I do hope they get used to the additions - it took me blimmin ages to make the ladders from picket fencing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Mine were scared witless by a lovingly selected and cleaned tyre which I filled with lovely dustbath materials . I had to remove it in the end as they wouldn't go within 3 feet of the scary black ring of death . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodinparts Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 So bearing all the above in mind, do you have any tips about how best to move my girls into their in hopeful preparation for the arrival of bantams post Reading...The cube has been up in their playground for a few weeks now, and once or twice they have wandered into the run... I guess the thing to do is to simply transfer them one day this week (I'm away next week so they won't get FR time for 4 days, - so it will be happier for them if they have the larger run) and leave them shut up for a bit? I don't want to make the disappear, even though they might find that helpful, as with any luck it will soon be occupied by bantams... oooooooooo I'm getting stupidly excited here. Morehens is at an acute phase, I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 This morning all the girls came out to play and were very interested in the new additions. I managed to grab a snap but just missed Prissie halfway up the ladder! At the weekend I'll put the other ladder back in so hopefully they will be settled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alet_chicken Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 That's good news! The ladders and perches will make things very interesting for your girls, they are very lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzieLloyd Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 Please ignore that state of our garden - its a mud bath at the moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
