The current bedtime routine

I am not happy with the change in the bedtime routine. I just don’t understand why the two bigger girls have suddenly decided that they want to perch outside at bedtime.

We are rarely ever away over night but I want to break this habit in case we ever are. When it rains this perch gets dripped on and if the girls were to stay here and it then rained during the night they would get soaked which would not be good at all. Once it is dark the girls would be unable to move from here.

Emerald and Speckles new bedtime spot

While the bigger girls are not going into the chicken shed first it has changed the perching habit of the little girls. Without the bigger girls on the back perch the little girls no longer go to the back perch.

Freckles and Cinnamon now perch on the left hand perch

Dandelion and Apricot now perch on the right hand perch

I like the fact that they are in twos now rather than Freckles being on her own. This is how they perch every night that the bigger girls don’t go in first.

I go into the run and tell the two bigger girls that they must go to bed now and they jump down and head into the shed. Sometimes just telling them is enough and sometimes I have to go over to them and direct them.

Emerald and Speckles head into the chicken shed

The final line up

Once the two bigger girls have perched on the back perch I then lift all the little girls across to the back perch. It’s funny how they look like a row of headless chickens apart from Speckles watching over them.

While it is still quite cold I prefer the girls to perch together for warmth. Once we get into warmer weather I will let them perch where they want as long as it’s inside the chicken shed!

I think what is happening is that the bigger girls perch over the hatch while it’s still light there. They don’t seem to realise that on the patio area it is getting dark and they should go in.

I am going to try getting them down from the perch over the hatch earlier and keep an eye on them to keep them from returning there. I hope that I will be able to persuade them back into the habit of going in first. Only time will tell!