The little girls have really taken to the winter shelter. It is just perfect for them because it’s too small to interest the bigger girls. This is a good thing because if the shelter was big enough for all the girls the bigger girls would probably chase the little girls out and it’s the little girls that need a little extra winter protection.
I am so pleased that they seem to love it and want to spend time in it because we all know that you can’t just make chickens do something because you think it’s good for them, they have to want to do it themselves and I think the fact that they love being in there may encourage them to go in during bad weather.
Rusty perched in the shelter
Freckles soon joins her
Emerald evicts Freckles
Emerald has been throwing her weight about since Toffee went. I think she is trying to show the flock that she is firmly in top place now.
She will intimidate the little girls into leaving the shelter but they bounce round in a circle and return once she has moved away. They are not bothered by the bigger girls for long.
Later in the day Rusty and freckles are in the shelter again
I wonder what they are pecking at
They have definitely made this shelter their own
They spend a lot of time pecking at tiny specks of dust in there. I have no idea why they do this but the little girls peck at specks all day all, over the run.
I think this shelter is one of the best things we have done for the little girls. It seems to be a resounding hit.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
They are darling in there. I love how the little ones manage to figure it out. I have one who doesn’t like the scuffle at treat time. So she’s learned to jump up on the cinder block nearest to me and that I’ll put down a few treats on top for just her to reach. It’s pretty cute.
They are good at working out how to get their own treats. I put the little girls seeds and corn on the patio by my feet while I throw it out into the run for the bigger girls. This means they don’t have to join in the scrum and they soon cottoned on to having theirs in a different spot. It is cute.
It is nice to see them happy in there. Such a good idea.
It really amuses us to see them in there so much. It makes it all worth while adapting the table to see them using it so much.
They are so cute and your photos capture their stance beautifully.
I have to say that they are incredibly cute.