They're Learning....

Before we left for Lincoln today, I decided to let the chickens out of the new coop. I figured that they had had two nights in "the box", so we'd see if they would remember where their beds were.

Normally, at about 45 minutes before sunset, most of the herd is in on the roost. Tonight, as the sun went down, there were still 8 birds wandering around between the new coop and the back door to the old one. They WANTED to go to bed, but were still confused as to WHERE that was.

I decided to let them have a few more minutes to try and remember.

I just came back inside from finishing up closing them in for the night. All were in except for two that I found huddled against the back door of the old coop. I just snagged them up and shoved them in the chicken door of the new coop. Everyone else seems to have made it home.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the wild Turkeys that I hear just over the hill.....Chickens just don't like to have anything to do with wild Turkeys, and hide when they get close.

Since we had a VA appointment today - and shopping to do - I didn't get anything done today.

Yesterday, I managed to pretty much finish the small "run" for the younger birds. I still need to cut a door, add a couple hinges, and make a ramp, but it is CLOSE to being done.

Hopefully, tomorrow it will be done and the birds can go outside and play.
Here is a photo of it, as it stands now.



I just have the door leaning up against the opening until I get the hinges on. Yesterday afternoon, I decided to put a three of the "chicks" inside to see what they would do. I also threw in a small handful of whole kernel corn. This, they had never seen before, so they were CLUELESS as to what it was.



I have a hen that has a nest SOMEWHERE out side, and shows herself a couple times during the day. Yesterday, she was invisible until I tossed the corn into the pen. She came out of the woodwork and paced back and forth, trying to find a way to get it. It was funny to watch her pacing the fence, clucking angrily and getting aggravated more and more as she went.

I ended up giving her some of her own to calm her down.



The funniest part of it was to watch her go to the corner and peek around it to see if there was a way in that way.

I THINK she finally figured that she wasn't gonna make it in....