Moving the bedtime routine onwards

Last night I decided that I need to start moving the bedtime routine onwards. I have been putting the little girls in the chicken shed at half past six, as with Caramel’s eye problem, I didn’t want to add any further stress.

By doing this it means they don’t know how they get there and they are not learning the way to go to bed. At half past six each evening Pebbles starts looking for somewhere high to roost. I decided to stay with them and let the other girls to bed in the usual way in the hope that the little girls would follow them.

At half past six Pebbles discovered that by using one of the new little perches she could get up onto the wooden table.

Pebbles on one of the new perches

Pebbles uses the little perch to get onto the wooden table

Pebbles on the wooden table

Pebbles was still looking up as if to find a better place to roost. She flew back down from the table. Both little girls went to the food dish and the other girls started making their way to bed. Emerald is always the first one in.

As Pebbles obviously wants to go high I decided to put her on the bigger, higher perch, in the chicken shed.

I tried putting pebbles on the higher perch

Barley soon chased Pebbles off the perch

Emerald took no notice of Pebbles but as soon as Barley came in she intimidated Pebbles causing her to jump down. She came back out of the chicken shed.

I stood at the end of the patio blocking the little girls from leaving the patio area. Once most of the girls were in the chicken shed I ushered the little girls towards the pop hole using my hands behind them to steer them in. Once they stepped up through the pop hole I had to use my hand to block them from coming back out again.

I directed the little girls to the pop hole

Once they realised they couldn’t come out they went in and settled in their usual corner. Toffee and Peaches were last to go in and they took no notice of the little girls in their corner.

They settled in their usual corner

What I don’t understand is that Pebbles obviously wants to find somewhere high to roost and yet despite putting her on the perches in the chicken shed she always comes back down and settles in this corner.

I don’t mind if they want to sleep here but I feel that Pebbles really wants to roost up on a perch. What I might try tonight is moving the little girls to the little perch after all the girls are settled.

It will be interesting to see if the little girls go in on their own tonight. If they don’t I will once again steer them towards the pop hole until they get the hang of it. I feel that we are making progress and feel sure that in a few more nights they will get the hang of it.