Last night we went out to check on the girls at half past seven and they were all in the coop except for Treacle, but she was just going in. Treacle soon settled and I went out at intervals and found the door closed at ten to eight and the girls all in. The day before was much warmer and dark a little earlier. Last night was lighter but much colder, I don’t know if the temperature effects the chickens as well as the light but am hoping that they will now settle back to a normal bedtime routine and that roosting on the roof of the coop was just a blip.
Yesterday morning I went out to the chickens at half past six ( I usually go out at seven), to try to see when the coop door opens. It was quite light and the chickens were in the garden part of the enclosure, so it must have been open for a bit. This morning I went out at six and it was quite dark and the door still shut. I then went out again at quarter past six, the door was open and the chickens were just outside the door. They then went straight to the feeder so I conclude that it had just opened. The chickens are now going to bed an hour earlier and getting up an hour later than during the summer. The days are very quickly getting shorter.
As it is summers end, I decided to put the pot of parsley back in for the girls to have another go at. I wasn’t expecting it to last long!
We like Parsley
Treacle is distracted taking leaves from the bush
Good one of Pepper
An hour later
Pepper and Dotty don’t want to miss a bit
I couldn’t resist Peppers fluffy butt
It was as I expected, it didn’t last long but was much enjoyed. I liked the way Pepper and Dotty stood in the pot to make sure they didn’t miss any.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Awe, so sweet. Glad to hear things are settling in.
I have a new action plan for my girls. I’m going to withhold all desirable treats and only give them out on a one on one basis. I’ll still put out things that don’t cause them to fight such as a big squash for them to peck at. I also plan on taking the peeper off Spice this weekend. That will be one week and I’m hoping she’s learned her lesson by then. Unfortunately, Ginger is now really going after her so I might be putting it on her next. Sigh…
I am sort of doing the same. Things like the pot of parsley or the morning tray of grass are fine as it’s big enough for them all to get at without squabbles. It’s the square feeders and small treats that cause the problem. I put out apple halves and Dotty constantly chases Bluebell off of whichever piece she is on. This morning I put two halves by the coop and two halves at the furthest end of the garden area. It worked to a degree but Dotty would still chase Bluebell off and poor Bluebell would feed at one end then run up and have a go at the other end, still I guess they are getting exercise at the same time! Grrr