Tilda, our house hen, may have elected to stay outside tonight.

She was out all day, as usual, sitting under the pampas grass.  Then, this evening - after the Big Girls had been shut in their run for the night - she went and sat towards their run.   I was a little puzzled.  She sometimes goes over there during the day, in which case I lift her in with them.    I explained to her that the Others were shut in and, being a chicken and not speaking English, she ignored me.

And then I had an idea.   I lifted her up and put her in the closed-off bit of the run, where the Go is.   She walked into the Go and out again, and sat on the ground.  I went and got some of her coop cups, and gave her some Garvo, some layers pellets and some water. And a tomato.  She started eating straight away.  And then I shut the side run door, and walked away.

The Big Girls took umbrage to this intruder, and started squawking. Eventually, the stopped.

After about 10 minutes, I went back. Tilda seemed quite happy, sitting watching the Others through the safety of some weldmesh.  I opened the side door to her run, and then opened the gate to the garden.... so that she could come out and come down to the house if she wanted to.

So far, she hasn't wanted to. 

I feel rather sad. I'm surprised at how I feel.

But, I've made plans.  

If she decides to stay out, we'll do it this way for a few nights and see how she feels when the weather is less clement.  And if she carries on, we'll put the Go's own run back on, and put it alongside the main run.  She can then have the run of the garden, away from the Others, but have a secure run next to them for the evenings and mornings.