We still need to fine tune bedtime

I went out this morning just as the automatic door opened. All the girls came out apart from the two new girls who stayed in the shed while I poop picked. They seem to like to be with me while I do this because once I had finished and left the shed they also left the shed.

I lingered long enough to check that they went to the food and water. I love to see them with their heads together in the food dish.

Two little heads in the food dish

Later in the morning Pebbles had a dust bath.

Pebbles in a dust bath

Pebbles is quite camouflaged and gets so deep in her dust holes that she is quite flat against the soil level.

The new girls were quite interested in her activity but I have yet to see them take a dust bath.

Rusty and Freckles are interested

We had an afternoon tea, wedding, to do today and I was anxious to get back at bedtime to make sure the new girls were okay. When we got back some of the girls were in but the three little ones were still outside along with Peaches and Barley.

Peaches and Barley soon went in but the three little girls were reluctant to go in. I put Pebbles on her little perch and tried to get the new girls to go in. I realised that it was Speckles chasing them out that was causing the reluctance to go in.

I returned Pebbles to her little perch and put the new girls in one of the little coops to let the bigger girls settle.

My husband suggested putting one of the little coops in the shed for the new girls but I realised that it would be too big to fit comfortably. I then thought that instead I could put the cat box in the shed. It would fit easily, be easy to clean if pooped on and give the new girls warmth and safety within the shed.

I put pine shavings in the cat box and put it in the shed beneath Pebbles on her perch. I then lifted the new girls from the little coop and put them in the cat box. They were not amused and popped right back out. I put them in again and again they popped right back out and settled in the corner.

Okay, that’s fine, they can sleep there tonight. I think it’s because they are not familiar with the cat box. Maybe over the next few days, if I get them familiar with it, they might like to sleep in it. On the other hand they might not. Maybe it’s a daft idea altogether. I think I will trial it over the next few nights and if it doesn’t work it doesn’t matter.

My new idea

The new girls settle in the corner

It could be that this is a stupid idea but I felt there was no harm in trying it. We will see how the next few nights go.

On the way back indoors  a movement caught my eye. It was our frog on the edge of the path. It’s the first time we have seen the frog this year and the rain today has obviously bought it out again.

Our frog returns

It is good to know the frog is still about.

We are glad the wedding is done as it is always a good feeling when we have successfully got through an important function and I am pleased overall with the way the flock are settling together. It is good to see the frog still in our garden, plus yesterday my husband saw a baby slow worm too so they must be breeding in our garden.

The final bit of fine tuning is getting bedtime sorted for the little girls but I am sure that we can work on that over the next few days and find a way of getting them to settle happily in the chicken shed one way or another. A work in progress but one that I am sure will settle down soon.