consistently shut out

[janeyo]

So my new girls are settling in well, getting on ok more and more with the old girls.

However, one of them has only managed to get herself into the coop at night once in 7 nights. The other sussed it after being shut out once! She even has her won spce on the perch next to the others now. I am going down and putting her in (she is roosting on top of the coop so clearly knows she ought to be there somewhere...) but I need advice as to how long she may continue to not get it and what I can do to encourage her to get in?

It's an automatic door so I am wondering if as she is last in the pecking order it is shutting before she can get in?!

Not has this before with any others, they generally only get shut out once!

Thanks

[RichmondHens]

Last in the pecking order is my guess. She may eventually work out a way to get in, or she may not - they are only chickens after all! Some of my lower ranking ones take to going to bed ahead of the others to secure a place, otherwise they have to stay out till last. It's tricky when you have an auto pop hole though. You could try turning it off for a few days to see if she manages to get in given sufficient time. This may then encourage her to start getting in a little more quickly. If not she may just be one of those awkward ones who need a helping hand every night!

[motherhen]

You can either keep putting her to bed but you must be consistant and do it every night or she will revert back. The longer daylight hours will help as she will have more time to go in. You can also buy a timer with your door opener, this lenghthens the closing time.
What sort of bird is she, some are happier sleeping out, lots of banties do and our Leghorns always sleep on the tree branch in their run, but it is very secure so we don't have to shut them away.

[janeyo]

She is a Cambridge Blue, a hybrid, very pretty but obviously a bit dim lol.

OH is going to adjust the opener so that it shuts later to see if she can get in any quicker. It can't be turned off as the door would not be able to be opened manually otherwise - he did tell me why but I forgot what he said.

I just hope she 'gets' it soon as don't want her to be out at night when we are not here to put her to bed.

I am cleaning them out when it stops raining, so I will have a little word with her LOL

[grenhouse]

I have a dorking who has always been, and still seems to be during the day, top of the pecking order! She eats first and bosses the others a bit! However, now she has taken to sleeping outside on top of the coup. I take her in everynight, now she only does it once or twice a week!

Steve

[janeyo]

well night one of altering the pophole closer so it closed later and she was still on the roof... will alter it a bit more tonight. It does say it is set up to close quite early so will keep going for a few more goes - see if she can get in

[Glutton4...]

I've recently moved my nest-boxes outside, in order to stop my lot from sleeping in them. They poo so much, that I'm getting dirty eggs. I now have to block off the access to the boxes when I go and give them their corn in the evenings, and I have to go down after dark, to open the boxes up again, ready for the morning. Failing that, I have to get up early in the morning and go down to open them up. Kind of misses the point of having the automatic door on the Coop!

We went out yesterday afternoon, and got back after dark. I went to check, and there were six Hens outside in the nest-boxes, while the rest were shut in the Coop. Little wotsits complained loudly when I hoiked 'em out and posted them through the pop-hole!

[vicky]

I checked for eggs this morning and one of mine had flipped the nestbox over and got herself trapped underneath...she came out pretending she had meant to do that!

[RichmondHens]

Janey - Keep persevering and chuck her in manually. Hopefully she'll get the hang of it eventually.

G4 - I have to block off nestboxes on several of my houses. The bantams and Orpingtons particularly are very naughty about trying to sleep in the nestbox. Plus one cock who has to hide in there from his dominant brother. If I'm home before roosting time then I block them off in advance, otherwise I go round shoving them all out when I shut up for the night.

[Glutton4...]

It's refreshing to know I'm not the only one. We buy all these things to make our lives easier, and the little wotsits go and rebel...

[janeyo]

and tonight it gets even funnier... I went down and she was on the roof and started bokking at me as if to day ' hurry up' lol, so I picked her up and put her in.

Then the pop hole started opening as the floodlight OH rigged up at the weekend so we could see to put her back was shining on the bladdy door... at which point the other new girl decides she will come back out for a nosey (or else she thought it was morning), and had to be chased round, caught and put back in... then it was a race to the light switch before any others decided they wanted a stroll about too!

[RichmondHens]

LOL! Forget about the floodlight and wear a head torch. Then you have enough light to see by but the hen is still in darkness and won't go walkabout, and the pop won't open either.

[Hilary B]

One snag with head torch in cold weather. If your breath is making 'clouds' they get in the way of the light! (we used to use one for dog walking......)

[jessmorris]

One snag with head torch in cold weather. If your breath is making 'clouds' they get in the way of the light! (we used to use one for dog walking......)

...and try wearing one in cold weather with misty breath if you wear glasses - bladdy impossible! (but generally v useful otherwise!)
JM

[janeyo]

I can't use the head torch cos my my long hair it always falls off!

But YAY she managed to be IN tonight - second time ever!!!!!

Keep things crossed for tomorrow

but now I've another one with a flaming limp.... these new girls have been sent to try me.......