Sooo to make a long story more succinct-- we got a pair of terrified little doelings (mini Toggs, 16 weeks old) who have picked out the little enclosed chick pen in front of the coop/ pop door to hole up in a night.... (the pen has a gate left open so chickens can enter the pop door into the coop)... well they were already rattled at the little goats yesterday when I brought them home, but it looked like rain so I went and put a new, shiny grey tarp over the pen to keep everything dry, plus its nice for the chickens to have a little covered area right over their pop door....
Oh and the tarp is aligned with the short little 4ft tall chicken yard fence-- usually they jump onto the roof of the chicken pen (its just wire for hawk protection, now covered with Tarp) to get back into the yard at night....
Well between the goats and the new tarp, come twilight they all lined up in front of the tarp and very slowly jumped up on it very reluctantly-- one hen just sat there on it and wouldnt move, I finally carried her and put her into the coop myself as well as 2 other gals that were pacing back and forth staring at the tarp....
So I thought, well that is that-- then I hear noises--
My coop is built under my porch ramp the chicken area is fence offed from the first part of the ramp -- it goes down the side of the house and back around the house, coop and yard in back behind the house....underneath...
So I look around, and sitting in a row on an air duct under the ramp is 4 or 5 hens ( its dark by now and they are black chickens)....
I let them be. It wont be that cold tonight 40 degrees maybe at the lowest....
Dogs are loose (they have been successful so far warding off the bears troubling my neighbors) and we have never had predation (knock on wood) of any kind....
Should I just let part of my flock roost under my porch ramp (if it rains they will get damp from the cracks between the wooden planks...) but its not raining tonight... I guess I could put another tarp on that section for them...
Or should I try moving them tomorrow night?
Am hoping everyone will get used to the goats, (dogs are a whole nother story).... and the new tarp....
Oh and the tarp is aligned with the short little 4ft tall chicken yard fence-- usually they jump onto the roof of the chicken pen (its just wire for hawk protection, now covered with Tarp) to get back into the yard at night....
Well between the goats and the new tarp, come twilight they all lined up in front of the tarp and very slowly jumped up on it very reluctantly-- one hen just sat there on it and wouldnt move, I finally carried her and put her into the coop myself as well as 2 other gals that were pacing back and forth staring at the tarp....
So I thought, well that is that-- then I hear noises--
My coop is built under my porch ramp the chicken area is fence offed from the first part of the ramp -- it goes down the side of the house and back around the house, coop and yard in back behind the house....underneath...
So I look around, and sitting in a row on an air duct under the ramp is 4 or 5 hens ( its dark by now and they are black chickens)....
I let them be. It wont be that cold tonight 40 degrees maybe at the lowest....
Dogs are loose (they have been successful so far warding off the bears troubling my neighbors) and we have never had predation (knock on wood) of any kind....
Should I just let part of my flock roost under my porch ramp (if it rains they will get damp from the cracks between the wooden planks...) but its not raining tonight... I guess I could put another tarp on that section for them...
Or should I try moving them tomorrow night?
Am hoping everyone will get used to the goats, (dogs are a whole nother story).... and the new tarp....
