A High perch for roosting before bedtime

We decided to put a high perch back up in the corner by the coop and in front of my hanging  chair. We would like to encourage the new girls, who like to perch high, to perch close to the coop to make it easy to put them to bed.

New high roosting perch

We wondered how long it would take for them to find it. I spent some time with them a couple of hours before dusk to see if they would find it.

Emerald was the first to find the high perch

Once she had investigated it she was looking for the best way down again.

Emerald first jumped on to my little hanging chair

She then returned to the high perch then jumped from there to the top of the storage cabinet then moved on to my shoe box which is where she ended up last night. She seems to like this position.

Emerald is on my shoe box and Sparkle is on top of the storage cabinet which is her usual bedtime positin

Toffee was next to find the high perch.

Toffee settled down on the high perch

Amber and Honey are on the coop roof as usual and Toffee is settled on the high perch

Amber had looked unwell again for a few hours before bedtime and I knew she was heading for her next egg. I made sure she had some food and as usual hand fed her chopped grapes and sunflower seeds. She was first to be on the coop roof dozing.

Topaz as usual had put herself to bed in the coop, good girl!

Sparkle and Emerald have settled on the top of the store cabinet and the shoe box

I just couldn’t help myself from adding this photo as it is so funny.

Here is Toffee doing her “funky gibbon”impression. You have to have watched “The Goodies” for that to make sense!

When I went back in an hour later at dusk the girls were all still in the exact same positions. They seem to settle into position quite a while before dark. It was easy enough to lift them all down into the coop so I would say this is successful. As long as they all perch near the coop I am happy with that.

After they were all in I did my usual clean up of any poops on the patio area and then I found this.

Here is Ambers latest egg

The shell was paper thin but the egg was intact so Amber must have laid it just as all the girls were roosting as it hasn’t been eaten. Once again I give thanks that she has managed to pass it and I now know that after a night’s sleep she will back to her happy self in the morning.

I can only hope she keeps managing to pass her eggs but at least she is looking unwell for  a few hours now rather than days and is looking a much happier and relaxed girl for most of the time. I can only hope she manages this problem for as long as possible. Once again yesterdays big feed of scrambled egg laced with limestone flour and cod liver oil has made no difference.

There is nothing more I can to do to help her but give her as much love and attention as I can and make the most of the times we have. At least I know I am now giving her the stress free life she deserves.