Dirty stop outs!!!

[madmum]

Hubbs was sitting out in the garden last night and he did a quick check on the girls before coming to bed.He came up chuckling and said did i know that 3 of my 8 batties had taken to roosting on a raised platform in the run? I had to go down and have a check and sure enough tucked up and as snug as bugs in a rug were Mrs Speckledy and two others i couldnt make out in the gloom.Bless them they have only just started doing this but tonight im going to have to stay up and watch to see why.The other 9 birds all head into the coop as usual so i dont think its mite(?) Maybe they just like the freedom to choose.......

[ChrisG]

That's girls for you - like to let you know they have minds of their own.

[Benny&Co]

Awww bless um. They're so ace aren't they MM

[HedgeHugger]

My 3 have been doing this every night for a couple of weeks now. So far every night I have been trooping out there with my headlight and getting them into bed!

Maybe I should leave them up there?

[madmum]

I suppose that depends how fox proof the run is .I will leave mine out 'cos i dont shut them in at night.So far we have no fox threat so

[Totally Scrambled]

Two of ours, the Exchequer Leghorns, love to roost about 15' up a tree on fine nights.
Even if a fox got past the electric netting there are no branches for a good 5' and the branches are then tightly packed near the trunk which I think would foil the fox.
Dom

[HedgeHugger]

As far as I know we are fox proofed.
No foxes about that we've seen to put it to the test ! :)
We're out in the sticks a bit lol so hopefully foxy is off after easier prey :)

I do feel mean putting them away when they obviously want to stay put, but do go in with reluctance and a bit of mumbling. :D

[Grannyof4]

There is no way I could go to bed leaving my girls out. No matter how fox-proof the run is or you think there aren't foxes around, the stress caused to hens if a fox does appear and tries to get in is huge.