A solution to the bedtime problem

We have been having an ongoing problem getting Pebbles to go in to bed on her own for a while now. I have tried putting her in early and she just comes out again. I have tried leaving her and she stays outside until after the door closes. I have resorted to putting her through the pop hole and blocking it until she perches up.

This was not satisfactory and I needed a rethink. There has to be a reason she isn’t going in on her own.

I decided to try adding another perch lower than the existing one to form a sort of ladder. The little girls move up the outside ladders easily. There seems to be a two fold problem with the bedtime perches. Freckles can’t easily judge the perch and always flies too high then drops back down on to the perch. I worry that she could hurt herself.

Pebbles has to have her position next to the door and if there isn’t a big enough space there she can’t judge the jump up.

The little girls’ perches

A new perch added

I put Pebbles on these perches several times to show her. Once she had jumped down a curious Emerald decided to check it out.

Emerald tries out the new perch

I decided to stay with the girls at bedtime so that I could see what happened and take photos. The bigger girls always go in first. I think the little girls wait until the big girls are settled to make it easier for themselves which is understandable.

As usual Rusty went in first and was soon followed by Freckles. To my surprise Pebbles followed them a few minutes later without any help from me.

Rusty was first up to the new perch

Freckles hopped up easily

Rusty and Freckles do a bit of beak to beak contact

Freckles moves up to the top perch and Pebbles hops on to the bottom perch

Rusty gets ready to join Freckles

Rusty hops up to the top perch

Pebbles gets ready to hop up

They settle in their usual positions

I was really pleased with this. I feel that all three girls were able to get up much easier. I think it’s much better for Freckles and I think it’s easier for Pebbles to get into the position she wants. Pebbles was also able to linger on the lower perch while Rusty and Freckles sorted themselves out then she made her move.

I think perhaps she wasn’t going in because it wasn’t easy enough for her to take the position she likes. I am hopeful that now it is easy for all three of them to get to the perch the bedtime problem will be solved at last.

Even if she doesn’t go straight in tomorrow night I think it won’t take long for her to get used to it but I am hopeful that having gone in on her own tonight she should do it again tomorrow.

I am much happier with this perch arrangement as it is now really easy for all three little girls to get to the bedtime perches. Sometimes I have to just keep watching the girls and mull over a problem for a while before fine tuning to get it just right. I am quite confident that this is now going to work.