The bantys have their own coop

I went looking for a small coop today for the bantys as picking them up in the evening is too stressful for them and running the gauntlet of the big girls in the mornings can’t be good for them either.

I found a small animal house that I think will be ideal. It has a small wooden nest box inside and is weather proof. It did cost fifty pounds which was more then I wanted to pay but I felt we needed to do something quickly to make the bantys life better. I just really hope they will use it.

The bantys new coop

The new coop in the bantys area

I gave both lots of girls some fish in olive oil as a treat this afternoon.

Dotty seems to have pigeon toes

The big girls had finished their dish before the bantys even started theirs. The bantys weren’t impressed. They are much fussier than the big girls and don’t get excited by food in the same way, although they do like corn.

The bantys are always very close together

They are never far apart and when they sit they are usually virtually on top of each other.

My husband started work on fitting some perspex over the outside run that we will be able to slide out during wet weather. It was drizzling a little this morning and I was worried that the bantys don’t yet have a dry area. As a temporary measure I put an umbrella over the bush but need something more substantial. We will continue working on it tomorrow as we don’t want to stress them by doing too much at once. They really don’t like us being in the run and especially don’t like us being in their area.

I am hoping that once they are using their coop and I don’t have to pick them up, they will gradually start getting used to me. Tonight will be the testing time, to see if they will go in their own coop.

Well it didn’t go easily or  according to plan. At dusk the big girls were on top of the coop and the door was closing so I scooped them up one by one and popped them in. I hoped the bantys on the other side of the wire would see how easy they go in but of course it doesn’t work like that. The bantys were showing no sign of going in their coop so I left them until dark.

I went back and they were in the corner of their run so I tried to pick one up but she flew into the bush. I picked her up from the bush and put her in her coop. The second one is always the problem and it took a while to catch her. I felt awful because I know this is stressful for her.

I hope after a night in their coop maybe they will recognise it tomorrow and go in. If not I may have to leave them out as I think it’s too stressful to catch them each night. I don’t want to make a bad habit of them staying out but I don’t know what else to do. Maybe if one of them goes in to try to lay her egg she will get familiar with it (she seems to get the urge every other day). I am at my wits end with this. It was more difficult catching them tonight in their own area because they can get behind the bush.

I don’t want bedtime to be stressful and don’t really know where to go from here. The big girls are so easy in comparison. I can only hope we turn a corner soon.