I failed at the first hurdle.
I blocked off the ground level nest boxes which is where Maggie has been going. I was optimistic she would roost with everyone else if she couldn't get in there because she was quite active all day and had eaten a good load of corn before bed, and was generally behaving like a very slightly slower version of herself.
But never underestimate a chicken's ability to mess with your plans. When she couldn't get in to the ground floor she tried for the upper deck. She bounced up on the tree stump with no issue, but she failed the second leap up to the nest boxes and fell to the floor.
So of course I felt terrible and rushed to open up the lower box for her. So once again she is going to be soaking her butt in icky liquid poo all night.
I don't know if she is going into the nest box for warmth (logical but odd as it was 70F degrees today and hasn't been below the high 40s any night this week). Or whether she wants to sit rather than roost. If the latter then my Plan B will also fail. Plan B is to construct a tiny roost inside the nest box so I can elevate her butt so she doesn't bathe in all the ick.
Of course I am also worried about why she failed to get up to the upper nest box. It is a big leap, though roughly the same as the tree stump that she managed just fine. I think she doesn't have any flight feathers - but does she need that for jumping? Or is she really weak? Could molting make her really weak?
So many questions. Sorry. Just worried about my beloved Maggie.
and the other hens all looking at it, too funny.
(and chickies of course!).
