How do you train ex-bats to put themselves to bed?

[fitzilian]

what about putting a small platform halfway between the coop and the ground? that way if their legs are tired they can rest, and if they jump to the floor it wont be so high so less likely to injure... ?


my ex-batts put themselves to bed by themsleves the first night, then one kept popping her head out to my small babies as if to tell them it was time for bed! but their ramp is only tiny...

[Hashette]

We've cracked it as far as getting out of the coop goes - the ramp wasn't wide enough. We've now replaced it with one that's over a foot wide and has loads more slats so they only need to take very small steps, and they all managed to walk down it this morning.

In the words of the song, the only way is up. Tonight hopefully!

[frias]

Did they manage to put themselves to bed?

[Hashette]

Woohoo - two of them managed it tonight! The two who didn't have bad legs, probably as a result of being transported, so I guess they'll just need a bit more TLC until it heals

[Bephlam]

Woohoo - they're learning!!

It's amazing how quickly they pick things up - I mean when I got mine they didn't know how to drink out of my style drinker, so I dipped their little beaks in once, and voila...they all drank perfectly after that. I showed them how to go up the ramp to bed twice...and now they are up and down like a (insert blank)s knickers!!

Just got to teach them to perch now!

[Sunbeam]

We put the bottom of our ramp on a pallet so the incline is really gentle to the pop hole - they will happily put themselves to bed once they realise where bed is. Ours sleep in an old dog kennel about 10" of the ground with an outside run - when we first got them we kept them shut in the run for about two weeks, and encouraged them to bed when necessary - now they have the run of the garden & make their own way to bed at dusk.

[ChrisB]

Ex battery hens tend to party a bit. They think 'Hey I'm free and I'm staying up all night to make up for the past'

When I first got mine I looked down the garden and thought something had got in the run. It was pitch black and the girls were still pottering about having fun. I did some research and found this is quite usual with ex-bats.

The will settle down and learn to go to bed, in between time pop then in. Make sure you do a head count to make sure you've got them all.

They can take a bit longer to learn to perch, but they get there.

Don't forget they've never had the luxury of a perch, only a wire floor.

[Hashette]

In the words of the song - it's getting better.

3 out of 4 tonight. The trouble is that the ones who don't get themselves to bed get hideously stressed when it goes dark, and they've got one more week to learn to get it right before the clocks go back. Even if we leave work on the nose of 5pm, that's still an hour of stress.

Still, I have my priorities right, all I need is excuses to leave work early. Here we go:

Monday - doctor's appointment
Tuesday - dentist
Wednesday - batty elderly mother-related emergency (she's 400 miles away so this needs to be pretty creative)
Thursday - whatever I saw the doctor for on Monday has flared up again
Friday - boss leaves early so I can slope off safely

Phew

Excuses for the following week very welcome!

[Hilary B]

You need a low energy lightbulb inside the house. One that comes on when it gets dark. The 'moonlight' nightlight might do, if you can get power there Moonlight™ Nightlights (2) - Expert Verdict
It uses so little energy that leaving it on all the time would not be a problem, and that little bit of light might show them the way to bed when it gets dark outside.

[arfur dahlia]

very happy ex batts.

We have other chickens and ducks We got 30 ex batts back in july. had to handle them in first night some had trouble walking, many roosted high in a bush. very poor state. by night three they went to bed on their own. One chuck could not walk so every day we placed her out of the sun with food and water within reach. Within 6 or 7 days she walked around and is now one of the friendly ones, in fact they all are.Very satisfying. theyve grown feathers and their red combs are red and stick up not pale pinky white like when we got them. They are happy hens and mix well withour other hens.

[Glutton4...]

Hi and welcome - love the name!

I too have ex-bats. I collected 8 in November then 8 ex-free rangers in December. Most have feathered-up well, and they are all enjoying life. Mine too put themselves to bed on day three. Lovely aren't they?

[raine]

It must be something about the magic number three! Our girls put themselves to bed on day three also. They also time it to perfection and just as dusk is turning into night, up they go on a comic little procession. Wish they had all the other things off so perfect like not squabbling and not getting stuck under the ramp. (don't ask even I don't knowhow she manged it! )