So, DH went back to the Allotment to see if the Taffos had managed to get back in to their coop for the night. We had high(ish) hopes. Firstly, they were used to climbing up a ladder to roost (as they had been living in the Cube for a while) and, secondly, we had shut them in the allotment coop for some time upon arrival & let them come out in their own time.
DH got there before dusk, so actually they were in the process of taking themselves to bed. All went well as one of them went up the ladder. But then there was a problem. Said chicken decided to roost in the doorway. The narrowish doorway. In fact, he filled the doorway, making it impossibe for the second chicken to get past him.
DH intervened, and manouevred blockage chicken into the coop, and the second one was able to go in. What do you think happened next?
Yes, number 2 wedged himself in the doorway and settled doen for the night.
At this point DH decided that the most sensible thing to do was to put them all to bed himself, and bring a saw tomorrow to widen the doorway.
Meanwhile, at home....
The four young girls were peeping sadly to themselves underneath the Cube. I went out with a torch and shone it from inside. They looked up in wonder, but did not climb the ladder. I left the torch and went back to the house for a few minutes. Went out again, still the sad peeping and no movement.
I clambered over the temporary netting, and opened the Cube run door. All four girls came rushing forward, and I scooped up Tilly (she with the damaged wing and the very fat legs), shut the door, clambered over the netting, went round to the Nest box, and posted her. I then clambered over the netting, opened the cube run door, scooped up Custard (the other Sasso, who will be joining the Breeding Flock). By this time, Tilly had managed to waddle to the pop hole and stare out of the door.
Everyone looked at her. She looked back. Then she started to climb down the ladder. I shut the door, climbed over the netting, opened the nestbox, posted Custard, shut the nest box, cimbed over the netting, opened the door, scooped up Tilly, shut the door climbed over the netting opened the nestbox posted Tillly, shut the nestbox climbed over the netting opened the door..... and saw both Tilly and Custard looking at the steps. Roobarb (the egg laid on the way home) and Florence (the Australorp) looked at the ladder uncomprehendingly. They ran to the back of the Cube.
A little exasperated, I realised there was nothing for it. I was going to have to climb in the Cube run. DH had done this earlier, and he's a bit less supple than me. Of course earlier, it hadn't had four chickens in pooing everywhere.
I managed to catch Roobarb and, as I did so, Florence went rushing past me and OUT. I pushed Roobarb through the pop hole, and backed out of the Cube. I had chicken poo all over my trousers (ew!!). I managed to walk Florence into a corner, scoop her up, climbed over the netting, opened the nestbox, posted her, shut the nestbox.
I came round to the front and saw all 4 of them standing at the top of the steps. I told them it was up to them. If they came down that ladder, I would not be rescuing them.
They stayed in.
Hopefully tonight will be OK.
DH got there before dusk, so actually they were in the process of taking themselves to bed. All went well as one of them went up the ladder. But then there was a problem. Said chicken decided to roost in the doorway. The narrowish doorway. In fact, he filled the doorway, making it impossibe for the second chicken to get past him.
DH intervened, and manouevred blockage chicken into the coop, and the second one was able to go in. What do you think happened next?
Yes, number 2 wedged himself in the doorway and settled doen for the night.
At this point DH decided that the most sensible thing to do was to put them all to bed himself, and bring a saw tomorrow to widen the doorway.
Meanwhile, at home....
The four young girls were peeping sadly to themselves underneath the Cube. I went out with a torch and shone it from inside. They looked up in wonder, but did not climb the ladder. I left the torch and went back to the house for a few minutes. Went out again, still the sad peeping and no movement.
I clambered over the temporary netting, and opened the Cube run door. All four girls came rushing forward, and I scooped up Tilly (she with the damaged wing and the very fat legs), shut the door, clambered over the netting, went round to the Nest box, and posted her. I then clambered over the netting, opened the cube run door, scooped up Custard (the other Sasso, who will be joining the Breeding Flock). By this time, Tilly had managed to waddle to the pop hole and stare out of the door.
Everyone looked at her. She looked back. Then she started to climb down the ladder. I shut the door, climbed over the netting, opened the nestbox, posted Custard, shut the nest box, cimbed over the netting, opened the door, scooped up Tilly, shut the door climbed over the netting opened the nestbox posted Tillly, shut the nestbox climbed over the netting opened the door..... and saw both Tilly and Custard looking at the steps. Roobarb (the egg laid on the way home) and Florence (the Australorp) looked at the ladder uncomprehendingly. They ran to the back of the Cube.
A little exasperated, I realised there was nothing for it. I was going to have to climb in the Cube run. DH had done this earlier, and he's a bit less supple than me. Of course earlier, it hadn't had four chickens in pooing everywhere.
I managed to catch Roobarb and, as I did so, Florence went rushing past me and OUT. I pushed Roobarb through the pop hole, and backed out of the Cube. I had chicken poo all over my trousers (ew!!). I managed to walk Florence into a corner, scoop her up, climbed over the netting, opened the nestbox, posted her, shut the nestbox.
I came round to the front and saw all 4 of them standing at the top of the steps. I told them it was up to them. If they came down that ladder, I would not be rescuing them.
They stayed in.
Hopefully tonight will be OK.
