Bedtime Woes

The last few weeks, our chickens have been enjoying being all big and grown up in their outside coop. We have enjoyed having the guest room back, and the "girls" have enjoyed their new digs. It's taken them a few weeks to figure out how to get up the ramp into the enclosed portion of the coop at night. Stupid, darling birds! The first night, we went out to check on them before going to bed, and they were all huddled up in a pile freezing to death. I ended up crawling through the chicken poo to fish them up one by one and put them in the safety of the coop for the night. I had about 2 feet of clearance between the ground and the ceiling of the run, so it was a tight squeeze.

The last few nights, the "big girls" (our Easter Eggers) figured it out, and walked up the ramp all by themselves. As soon as they would go upstairs, the other two chickens (the smaller and stupider Frizzles) would run around in the chicken run squawking and crying for the Easter Eggers. They just couldn't figure out where the others had gone, and how to get where they were. Every night we have gone out, picked them up and (gently) shoved them up the ramp so they could get the idea of how the whole night-time process works. As soon as they get up there with the other two, they cuddle up. It's super funny to watch. The Frizzles will actually crawl under the Easter Eggers, like they are the mamas and the Frizzles are the babies, even though they are just a few days apart in age.

And tonight...success! We went out to see how they were doing, and ALL 4 chickens made it upstairs all by their very own selves. Proud moment for us. Maybe we need to get a life. Seriously though, I was starting to get kind of worried about how they will cope when we go to Disneyland. I'm okay with asking the neighbors to feed them, but helping them find their way upstairs every night is pushing the envelope on what I feel comfortable asking others to do.