[beulah59]

We're on day 5 with our four ex-batts ... they've all mastered the ramp now, and mostly lay their eggs in the nest box ... but only one of them has bothered to go to bed at night! Twice Bridget has taken herself upstairs to sleep, but we've had to lift the rest of them up each night. They all gather in the ark at dusk, but just seem to mill purposelessly around the place 

I hope they get the idea sooner rather than later ... I'm supposed to be going out tonight! 

[Flowerpower136]

Ours all go up the ramp into the coup, but as far as I can tell, only 3 are actually roosting, the other 5 opting to snuggle up int the nest boxes.
I know they shouldn't, but as they are ex batts, I just don't want to stop them doing what they want to do .
Also, not sure their leg muscles are yet strong enough to get them up there and back down again, so haven't been lifting them up.  When they want to do it, they will.
In the meantime, am putting more perches around the run in the hope that they get the idea.

[beulah59]

I don't mind whether they roost on the perch or not ... but it's not always practical to go out in the dark to put them up the ramp!

[Flowerpower136]

Thinking about it, ours were a bit reluctant to go into the coup to start with.  I wondered at the time if it had anything to do with the lighting etc in the battery cages.

If they were under artifcial light, ie not natural daylight hours, it would confuse their body clocks, a bit like jet lag.

We've got one of those automatic pop hole openers, and for the first week, had to keep adjusting it to delay it closing becasue it kept shutting before they were all in.  Since then, we've had to adjust it back again, as they are all tucked up by 7.30 and waiting for the door to close!

They'll get the hang of it, especially with dusk falling earlier.

[lightyears]

they might be enjoying there freedom so much that they dont want to go to bed lol.

[ladyhotspur]

It took some time for my girls to get the hang of bedtime and used to worry me. I was advised to put the light on the stable where they sleep and this seemed to work. Am aware however not everyone has a light in their coop. I'm no expert but am sure they will get in a routine soon x

[Mrs Tweedy]

We had same problem with one of our ex batts, we've had them about 6 weeks now. Maude just wouldn't go up in to coop without us putting her on ladder and encouraging her with a little push, and even laid her egg under it or in run. But we had break through just over a week ago, she wandered around on her own for a bit, then there was pitter patter of feet going up ladder all on her own  i'm so proud she's always last to go in but she does it all by herself!  .

[jackieb]

Ours got the hang of it after a few days of us actually lifting them into the house at night.

[beulah59]

Just last night, I went out to lift them ... and they'd all taken themselves upstairs without me - hurrah!   

[Flowerpower136]

Clever girls.......very proud making?