[Porffor]

My girls.. now a couple of weeks with me.. are being cheeky at bedtimes!  :roll:

They took themselves to bed on day 3, all fine.. except they came out as soon as I went in to close their door.

This has been happening most nights now, or they just refuse to go to bed and stand waiting for me at the fence!

So.. being the tough love mum that I am.. I watched from teh kitchen window tonight (poised to run out if a fox came in sight), and left them to it.. after much pacing they took it in turns to go to bed and come out again.. for ages!

9.50pm they eventually went to bed!! I went out very quietly to close their door and soon as they heard me, they started nattering to me!  :roll: Thankfully i got the door closed without them coming out.

My trouble in all this is.. that we are going away a week on saturday for 2 days... I have arranged for a teen neighbour - who has lots of animals - to come and feed/water the guinea pigs and open/shut the chooks door.. My trouble is, that if they don't go to bed, then she'll be running around chasing them as it gets dark.

Will tough love bring forward their bedtime? and if not, what's my alternative? Short of leaving them locked in for 3 days and 2 nights.. not something i want to entertain.

[SnooziSuzi]

Mine just can't resist a treat to get them back into the coop, try some wild birdseed just inside;  it'll keep their attention held long enough for you to lock all of the doors and popholes and you'll be able to get on with what you need to be doing.

I use this trick all of the time with mine - they love it!

[FCG]

Shine a torch in the coop, they will probably wander right in then.

[Porffor]

Thanks both, I'll give them a go. Want to pick up some corn too this week, so if all else fails i'll try that.
didnt' realise they like wild bird food.

[SnooziSuzi]

mine cant get eough of it!   I used to keep it in the poly bag that I bought it in, but had to use a sealed container eventually cos they kept jumping up at the bag to break a hole in it and eventually suceeded!  :roll:  

[Porffor]

ok.. getting the message.. chooks are ALL cheeky!
will pick some up then. they like 'seed like' foods, but are not that bothered by other types at the moment (veggie leaves or anything go to waste mostly). so it'll be nice to give them some variety.

[compostqueen]

the torch thing works  

[Porffor]

thanks bought corn today and bird seed.. am planning on 'training' the chooks to go to bed when i want them too... may not work, but if it does it'll set my mind at ease and make my animal sitters life easier.

[peggyprice]

thanks bought corn today and bird seed.. am planning on 'training' the chooks to go to bed when i want them too... may not work, but if it does it'll set my mind at ease and make my animal sitters life easier.

My first birds didn't get to freerange for the first week or so because I hadn't worked out how to clip their wings - and they've always put themselves to bed before it gets dark     And now they've trained the two youngsters to do likewise  

All I have to do now is get them to shut the door behind them ...

[Porffor]

Thanks Peggy. Can do this, they'll go to bed - eventually.. it's not dark till gone 10 though and they didn't go to bed till 9.50 last night.. I have a teen pet sitting for me, and need them to 'occasionally' go into their hutch a little early. won't be often as we don't go out that late at night, just we are away for the weekend soon and don't want to be worrying.

[treacleminer]

If the torch/treats don't work, consider an automatic pop-hole closer if you can, you can set it on a light sensor and so it closes itself after the chooks have gone to bed.  I think there was a fairly long thread a couple of months' ago about making your own or they cost about £90 (I think I've not checked recently), which I know is quite alot but has been worth it for me as its meant I've not had to my friend who looks after them when I'm away to come a couple of miles at 10.00 o'clock at night.
Enjoy your trip away - going anywhere warm???

[Porffor]

I have a friend that has one, and works well. i'll have to save some pennies though and wait for our bigger house (henhouse) first

We're off to sunny Hertfordshire - we're foster carers and are in the middle of adoption introductions with a couple and the little girl we've fostered for 16 months. She's moving in on the 16th June, so we are spending the weekend in Herts to support her visiting and moving in.

[treacleminer]

Fantastic - foster carer's do a brilliant job I know a couple of people who have really managed to turn childrens' lives around and have huge admiration for them.

Hope all goes really well and the little girl settles well and happily with her new family.

[peggyprice]

Fantastic - foster carer's do a brilliant job I know a couple of people who have really managed to turn childrens' lives around and have huge admiration for them.

Hope all goes really well and the little girl settles well and happily with her new family.

Would echo that - I'm an adopter (mine were both babies when they arrived - at 1 week's and 24 hours' notice respectively - happy days   ).  Have always been grateful to the foster parents that cared for them in their first few weeks and months; especially the lovely elderly couple that fostered my second son, who couldn't have made it nicer for us when we met him for the first time.

Wishing her and her new family everything good, and the same for you and yours   .