Reminders for putting 'the girls' up at night?

[theoldchick]

Well, I'm old fashioned. I leave hand written notes on my bathroom mirror.

 

[foxinachickenhouse]

Is there anything you do as another routine around dusk? Like turn on a porch light, feed pooch etc. If so, maybe make a permanent note next to the light switch or on dog food. I kept forgetting to give my dog her pills in the morning so I finally put the pills into the coffee jar. No coffee for me until doggie gets her pill. It worked great until it became a habit I no longer needed reminding for.

I use dry erase markers on mirrors for notes, works great on car windshield, fridge. We list all the the items in the chest freezer this way. It works great.

 

[G-Man]

The auto door was one of the first things I made for our coop.
It’s a fun project. I’m sure your brother would love getting into to it, especially for his sister.
My Sister

lives in Oregon, so I understand the distance thing.
Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

[wendyrun]

I'm a notes on the mirror gal myself. I have to have visual reminders all over the place. In the morning I have tons of routines and everything located where I need it to remind myself what to do but at night, I get home and the wheels fall off. I'm tired and just want to get dinner made and go to bed.

What I THINK I'm going to try is to hang a sign (or a chicken ornament if I can find one!) on the door to garage. In the morning when I leave, I'll put it on the other side. That way, when I get home, it will be the first thing I see in the garage and I'll move it back!

Weekends are so much easier!!! Jealous of the retired man who lives here!!!

 

[mstricer]

I had to laugh when you said, you were told the door would be a problem. The Amish man that put up my run told me the same thing. We have a high door 6 ft and the second one is only 5 ft. tall. The shorter one goes straight to the garden. It was made short for the wheel barrow, because most of the time you are bent over and I'm only 5'3 so I said the same thing NO PROBLEM. WRONG....... Every time I bash the top of my head, :/ I wish I would have listened. As for locking up, it is just routine, I have 3 coops and 1 duck house. They put themselves to bed. I collect eggs and lock up.

 

[momdogz]

Quote:

Play nice in the sandbox, please - especially with newbies.

 

[4chickychoos]

I loved reading all the answers you received. May I offer another? I "stress" at the thought of my girls not being tucked in at night. I work swing shift and depend on others to tuck them in when I am working nights. I have a battery run motion detecting night light on my refridge hanging on a magnet hook, with a rubber band, over the wipe-off board. My instructions are written on this board and when they come home, and ALWAYS go by the fridge, that light shines my message to them... the light was only $17 in a mag. which I am sure you can find on line too. Motion light is nice on stairway too. Anyway, it works for everyone.
My girls have a coop that has a "bridge" they walk over/thru to their pen which has a roof. The coop door can be slide closed -or opened- from out side to tuck them in at night. To explain even more : The coop can separate from the pen. Detachable. Your ingenious brother will understand for sure. Yes, they also have a fenced-in yard which is attached to the pen only, not the coop, and it has protective netting over it. In a sense, they have a 3 sectional set-up. And yes they get to free range when I am home.

I can go into their coop with out walking thru the fenced area or the pen. Which is very nice collecting eggs and keeping my shoes clean. I can close their little sliding door on their coop, that opens to the " covered inclosed bridge", when I need to do any kind of cleanup. Convenient for all.
Thanks for bringing up a good subject that all good chicken keepers care about.

 

[rmh0508]

I have other livestock as well as the chickens. The chickens are my "newest addition", I kinda just feel into the routine where I feed the horses and cows first while they are eating their grain I do refill water and feed in the coops and do a last check for eggs and a head count. I am however more of a night owl no matter how early I get up in the morning so it is always already dark and the chooks are in bed already when I get out there. I just top of food and water and shut the doors then. Once that is done I finish my horse/cow chores and say goodnight