Been working my hiney off on a chicken tractor with a A-frame coop on top at one end. I've had the "tractor" part already done with the base of the A, and today I finally got the A up along with two roosts! Very proud of myself, I keep adding just one more thing, screwing together one more part for stability, etc. I'm working on this outside (and getting some very odd looks from the passers-by since I live in city limits) and of course time is getting away from me. Sure enough, it's dusk, and my three pullets (who are on the grass in the chicken tractor) start letting me know they're quite unhappy with being outside when it's dark, and I should be moving my butt and putting them inside the garage, thankyouverymuch. Pogue starts an incessant twitter, while UPC adds in the occasional high-pitched nasally whine. Terix keeps following me around the edge, so finally I pick her up and toss her in the garage after scooting the other two into the carrier.
You'd think I was plucking them alive with how the volume went up on all of them, but I ignore them and haul the tractor in so I can add some hardware cloth to the back of the A coop. Keep in mind that the "front" of it is completely open to the tractor, it's just 2 1/2 feet up from the ground (I'm going to make a ladder even though all three of them have proven that they can jump up just fine when it suits them). So, hardware cloth mostly in place (good enough to keep them from falling out, not good enough to stop predators but since they're in the garage it doesn't matter) I stick little Archaeopterix on one of the roosts, all the while she's peeping like mad. (she hasn't quite grow out of her peeps yet). I reach into the carrier and nap UPC, my Silver Penciled Rock, and stick her on the floor of the coop since Terix had jumped down, frantically looking for her friends. In fact, while I turn to get Pogue, she jumps down into the tractor, giving distress calls all the while. I try grabbing my Black Australorp who hates me unless I have food, and she's having none of it, hiding in the back of the carrier while keeping up the 3 bell alarm she'd been giving since we were outside. I manage to grab Pogue Mahone and toss her into the coop, then have to step into the tractor to scoop up Terix and deposit her with her friends who she lost.
Ah, time to settle down, right? NOPE. They all stare at me, frantically asking me with pleading eyes why I've trapped them in such a horrible place, why have I performed such horrors upon them?! And of course the noise is still going. I throw down some cracked corn and that shuts them up for about 15 seconds, and then the 3rd degree continues. What have I done to their home?! How could I teleport them to such an evil place? Never mind that if they wanted to, they could just jump down into their "old" home. Oh no, that will NOT do and instead they will all huddle against the hardware cloth and natter at me and stare. Ok, time for the big guns, I hold out some rye berries, and all three dive at my hand like it's made of candy. I cleverly sprinkle some on top of their flat roost, and toss the rest onto the floor of the coop and in their food to distract them. Which again didn't last too long.
Pogue, starting in on a particularly strident tirade on my shortcomings had stretched her neck up to give me a good stare at the same time. Fortunately she spotted the rye and shut up to eat. Eventually, Terix, still giving the "Oh god I'm going to die" chirp alarm, hops up onto one of the roosts, shortly joined by UPC who at this point has had enough of the whole whining thing and is ready to settle down. She gives Terix a good peck to tell her to shut it, and Pogue, upset that she's the only one left on the floor, hops up onto the other roost. Not good enough of course, she wants to be jammed in with UPC, so she practically steps on her to wedge herself against the wall and UPC. I'm cursing her the entire time, if she knocks the other two off the roost and they start this whole thing over again...But no, they scoot over and all three are sitting on the same roost. Well. At least I know that there's room for the Peeps (the two Light Brahma chicks) when they're big enough to join the older pullets.
I don't know about my ungrateful birds, but I'M exhausted!
Here's a picture of the three whiners this morning, before I turned their world upside-down.
You'd think I was plucking them alive with how the volume went up on all of them, but I ignore them and haul the tractor in so I can add some hardware cloth to the back of the A coop. Keep in mind that the "front" of it is completely open to the tractor, it's just 2 1/2 feet up from the ground (I'm going to make a ladder even though all three of them have proven that they can jump up just fine when it suits them). So, hardware cloth mostly in place (good enough to keep them from falling out, not good enough to stop predators but since they're in the garage it doesn't matter) I stick little Archaeopterix on one of the roosts, all the while she's peeping like mad. (she hasn't quite grow out of her peeps yet). I reach into the carrier and nap UPC, my Silver Penciled Rock, and stick her on the floor of the coop since Terix had jumped down, frantically looking for her friends. In fact, while I turn to get Pogue, she jumps down into the tractor, giving distress calls all the while. I try grabbing my Black Australorp who hates me unless I have food, and she's having none of it, hiding in the back of the carrier while keeping up the 3 bell alarm she'd been giving since we were outside. I manage to grab Pogue Mahone and toss her into the coop, then have to step into the tractor to scoop up Terix and deposit her with her friends who she lost.
Ah, time to settle down, right? NOPE. They all stare at me, frantically asking me with pleading eyes why I've trapped them in such a horrible place, why have I performed such horrors upon them?! And of course the noise is still going. I throw down some cracked corn and that shuts them up for about 15 seconds, and then the 3rd degree continues. What have I done to their home?! How could I teleport them to such an evil place? Never mind that if they wanted to, they could just jump down into their "old" home. Oh no, that will NOT do and instead they will all huddle against the hardware cloth and natter at me and stare. Ok, time for the big guns, I hold out some rye berries, and all three dive at my hand like it's made of candy. I cleverly sprinkle some on top of their flat roost, and toss the rest onto the floor of the coop and in their food to distract them. Which again didn't last too long.
Pogue, starting in on a particularly strident tirade on my shortcomings had stretched her neck up to give me a good stare at the same time. Fortunately she spotted the rye and shut up to eat. Eventually, Terix, still giving the "Oh god I'm going to die" chirp alarm, hops up onto one of the roosts, shortly joined by UPC who at this point has had enough of the whole whining thing and is ready to settle down. She gives Terix a good peck to tell her to shut it, and Pogue, upset that she's the only one left on the floor, hops up onto the other roost. Not good enough of course, she wants to be jammed in with UPC, so she practically steps on her to wedge herself against the wall and UPC. I'm cursing her the entire time, if she knocks the other two off the roost and they start this whole thing over again...But no, they scoot over and all three are sitting on the same roost. Well. At least I know that there's room for the Peeps (the two Light Brahma chicks) when they're big enough to join the older pullets.
I don't know about my ungrateful birds, but I'M exhausted!
Here's a picture of the three whiners this morning, before I turned their world upside-down.
Sometimes I'll deliberately delay the breakfast treat just to listen to her moan and groan for a few minutes while I'm having my tea. Gracie is hilarious 
