Importance of routine

[MTKitty]

The feather-heads gave me my first remedial lesson in the importance of routines. I glanced out to the yard and no one was hanging out in front of the coop.

Cool. They all cooped up for the night and it’s only /just/ sunset. So, instead of my normal wait15 or so minutes after sunset, when it starts to actually get dark, I popped out, told everybody goodnight-see-you-in-the-morning-no-you-can’t-come-out-it’s-bedtime.

Fast forward about 20 minutes, I’m getting comfortable with my evening read. “Good grief, why don’t those guys settle down and go to sleep? And why am I hearing them so clearly and why is it only one voice?”

Yup. One in every crowd. Apparently, someone was lollygagging about the yard and under the coop before lights-out. S/he followed me around to the big door and hopped right in, fussing the whole time about being abused and abandoned and neglected and unloved.

I’m just glad I found the little poophead when I did. Tonight’s low 50’s would not be much fun if you’re all by your onesie.

Note to self: wait 15 minutes.

 

[sloanbychoice]

I hear that!!
I haven’t had that happen, but the routine thing is vital for me. I’m so used to doing things in the same order every time.
I got distracted one day...
In the heat, I was refilling fresh waters, I dumped one, got distracted, did something else, and never filled it.
I left for the day, and never realized it.
Unfortunately, it was the only water pan in an isolation pen. The poor things had no water all day!!! Of course, I felt like an absolute monster, and the poor things drank for thirty minutes when I got home.
But I never again let myself deviate from the routine.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The chickens will remind me of their routine by all standing in the corner of the run nearest to the front door and starting at me, waiting to be let out or fed or whatnot.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Once this summer, my White Cochin didn't make it into the coop before the auto door closed. I found her in the morning pacing in front of the door! She absolutely hates me, but let me pick up and put her in the coop through the people door for a few hours before the door opened. She was safe in the run all night, but I worry about them being alone like that!

 

[MTKitty]

Once this summer, my White Cochin didn't make it into the coop before the auto door closed. I found her in the morning pacing in front of the door! She absolutely hates me, but let me pick up and put her in the coop through the people door for a few hours before the door opened. She was safe in the run all night, but I worry about them being alone like that!

Preds are the main reason I don’t want to rely on an automatic door. If someone gets shut out, I have all kinds of critters around here that would enjoy a chicken dinner.

Glad to hear your girl did okay in spite of being late to her party.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Preds are the main reason I don’t want to rely on an automatic door. If someone gets shut out, I have all kinds of critters around here that would enjoy a chicken dinner.

Even with an auto door it's still best to check in on the chickens to ensure everyone made it in at night, and that it opens properly in the morning.

It's just an extra convenience for days where you might be sleeping in, or getting home late, or if you're away for a couple of days - it doesn't replace doing due diligence.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Preds are the main reason I don’t want to rely on an automatic door. If someone gets shut out, I have all kinds of critters around here that would enjoy a chicken dinner.

Glad to hear your girl did okay in spite of being late to her party.

Agreed! Sadly, when she got shut out, I wasn't even relying on the door to shut on it's own, I was going out and shutting it using the app on my phone! I just missed seeing her when I flash lighted the run to check and make sure they all got in...or she sneaked back out as the door shut. I assume she stuck close to the door though because it's in the middle of the run (4' door on one side and the 7' building on the other). Our security cameras are finally going up inside and outside the coop this coming weekend!

 

[3KillerBs]

Yup. One in every crowd. Apparently, someone was lollygagging about the yard and under the coop before lights-out. S/he followed me around to the big door and hopped right in, fussing the whole time about being abused and abandoned and neglected and unloved.

A month or so ago I had one of my 12 or 14 week old FCMs fly out of the fence on a day when we weren't home to close up at dark. I didn't notice that she wasn't there when I closed the door.

In the morning I found her pacing outside the fence, desperate to get in to the rest of the flock. I presume she'd hunkered down under the shed overnight.

I also lost one of my cockerels, Kung Pao, the day I was injured. He'd gotten trapped between the electric fence and the chick-tight inner liner. I can't blame my son for not seeing him when he closed up -- I probably wouldn't have seen a black bird in a dark corner either.

I feel sorry for Kung Pao, who apparently broke his neck panicking, but he was a culling candidate anyway because from his earliest days he was always panicking over everything. The adventurous FCM apparently learned her lesson because she never flew out again.

 

[Folly's place]

We do a bird count at night when we lock them in, because it does matter. Right now we have 46 birds, and one molting hen has decided to roost on the hay in the barn. every night the person locking the coop has to go to the barn and bring her in. Yes, it's a pain, but finding body parts in the morning is much worse!
We also don't rely on a automatic door, for this reason.
I do vary the time that the birds go out, sometimes early, sometimes noon or so. Trying to make it a bit harder for lurking predators.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

My regular challenge is daylight savings time. Not in the morning but my evening routine changes about when I collect eggs and lock them up. I have to pay attention for a few days until I get into the new routine. That's about a month away for me.