Small improvements

It’s becoming really difficult to move this integration forwards. Getting the new girls to sleep in the shed is an improvement and I intend to keep this up whether they go in on their own or I have to put them in.

The problem now is that they spend most of their time at the top of ladders. I removed the feeding station from the run yesterday because it served no purpose and seemed to make things worse. Every time the new girls went towards the food in the run they were chased to the top of the ladder again. They really need to learn that the patio area is the feeding area.

I separated them before going out to do my lunch deliveries and checked on them again before I left. The three new girls were having a lovely dust bath in a spot of sun. They wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t separate them. For now I will have to separate them at times for them to be able dust bath, scratch about and feed and drink.

In the afternoon we finished early so I put the main flock on the other side and closed the temporary gate to try to get the new girls used to this area near the patio and the patio itself.

Apricot finds the perch in the shelter

I herded them to the patio where there were pellets, mash, water, spinach, apple and sunflower seeds to tempt them. What more could they want! They still only stayed on the patio while I physically blocked them from leaving (they managed to eat the sunflower seeds first though). As soon as I moved they left.

This is such a different problem to any we have encountered before. We have never had girls so averse to the patio and I just don’t understand why. I left them in this part of the run for most of the afternoon but they didn’t return to the patio and in fact kept as far from it as possible.

While watching them we did a few garden jobs. We used to have a wooden beam outside the new part of the run to deter anything digging in. By last summer it had started to rot and I chiselled out the rotten half (closest to the weld mesh ) and replaced it with a row of bricks. This year the other part had rotted so I removed it and we bought some more bricks and I replaced it with a second row of bricks.

My husband then had the idea that if he lifted the bricks and alternated the pattern it would look like a path, much better than two straight rows. He also alternated the new and old bricks as the new ones are a different colour.

Improving the outside of the run

On the other side I had already put a row of bricks and have the girl’s dandelion strip. All the rest of the run has concrete outside so these two strips are the only parts that needed to be made “dig” proof.

The other side of the run

An hour before bedtime I separated the girls to their usual sides to give the new girls some respite and a chance to feed before bedtime.

Once the main flock were in bed I herded the new girls towards the chicken shed. I “helped” them over the threshold. Once again they headed for a corner under the bigger girls. I put them on the new perch and once again they stayed put. As they have such an aversion to the patio I may have to continue like this for the time being. The good thing is that once they are on the perch they stay put.

This morning I went out at seven o’clock and the automatic didn’t open until ten past seven. It wasn’t such a bright morning as the day before and the door opener is very sensitive to the level of light. This gave me a chance to see what was happening inside the shed.

It was all very quiet with no sounds of any aggravation. I slowly and quietly opened the door a crack and peeked in. The girls were all down from the perches ready to come out and the new girls were in the back right hand corner keeping out of the way. I opened the door wide and they all came out with the new girls evenly mixed amongst them and no problem from them.

I am happy that are fine sleeping in the shed and getting out okay in the morning. I gave them the morning seeds but as soon as they had had them the new girls headed straight up the ladder. I decided to separate them and put them put them back on their side of the run as I worry that this means they don’t get food and more important, water. They went straight to the water.

This is so frustrating because we are so nearly there and yet if they can’t get food and water when mixed we can’t go any further. I just don’t know how to get them brave enough to go to the patio or to go to food and water. This is a stumbling block I haven’t encountered before and I just don’t know how to get past this.