I think we have cracked it

Flame has been in the dog crate for two days and two nights. Every time I put her back in the run she would have a dust bath and then return to the nest box so I would then put her back in the dog crate.

Yesterday afternoon I got Vanilla out for a break and she stayed out for a couple of hours instead of her usual ten minutes. I felt that she was weakening. Before bedtime I took Vanilla out again and closed the nest boxes.

At dusk when I checked on the girls Vanilla was perched up instead of in the corner of the chicken shed. I felt we were making progress. I opened the nest boxes ready for the morning.

This morning when I went out Vanilla was out in the run. I gave out the morning corn and cleaned the chicken shed. By this time Vanilla would usually be back in the nest box but she was still out. It was looking like Vanilla was done with being broody.

I decided to get Flame out of the dog crate and return her to the run. I had been doing this each morning while I put clean paper in the dog crate and fresh water and mash. After half an hour Flame was still out in the run. Instead of returning to a nest box she was perched with Speckles and Ebony.

It was looking like both Vanilla and Flame had come through this at the same time.

Flame this morning

I wondered what would happen when Flame and Vanilla saw each other. A few minutes later Vanilla joined some of the little girls on the ladder and all the girls were preening together. Flame and Vanilla didn’t take any notice of each other.

A communal preening session

In the afternoon Vanilla had a dust bath and Flame and Vanilla had still taken no notice of each other.

Vanilla having a dust bath

It seems that like last time two days has been long enough to break the mother and chick behaviour. Last time at this point I felt confident enough to leave them together at bedtime and then was disappointed to find Vanilla and Flame together on the chicken shed floor once more.

I separated Flame for one more night and the following night Flame and Vanilla perched at bedtime. Because of this I am going to put Flame in the dog crate for one more night. I am quite confident that by doing this they will both perch tomorrow night. I am really pleased with how quickly this has worked.

Cinnamon laid another egg today, in the corner of the chicken shed, which I have of course thrown away. That is two eggs in three days so I think she is feeling much better as she usually only lays once a week. Tomorrow will be her last day on baytril. I am so pleased with how well she is doing. Everything seems to be going to plan, touch wood!