FANCY CHICKENS' TEMPORARY SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS

Well, my fancy girls got to sleep in Tubby's house last night.  They still aren't integrated because the Cream Legbars continue to give them a hard time ~ I don't know what their problem is.  Tubby and his two Salmon Faverolles girls, along with Catherine the Blue Ameraucana, don't have a problem with the fancies at all; although, Catherine won't let them eat or drink with her - LOL!  The Legbars have gotten better though.  None of them, thankfully have bothered the Silkie, they've only went after the Polish and the Spitzhauben - I think it's their fancy "headdresses".  

Anyhoo...weather next week is predicted in the teens during the day and below 0 at night so I didn't want to keep them in their little coop.  I know people keep them in those all the time but I've never had smaller birds before and the Polish is not supposed to be very good in cold weather.  I was talking to Kim, up at the hatchery, and we were discussing options of how to shelter the fancies in Tubby's coop while keeping them safe from the Legbars.  She reminded me I could put a dog crate in there.  I tried the small crate but it just didn't fit anywhere that I was satisfied with.  Then I saw the nesting box and got an idea.  Tubby's girls don't use their nesting box, only once in a great while; they prefer a corner on the floor.  The fancy girls, in their little coop, do not roost - no matter how I've encouraged them, they prefer to huddle in a nesting box to sleep.

I put new bedding into the nesting box in Tubby's house and found a framed window screen, that wasn't in use, to use as a "door".  At bed time, I scooped up my little girls and put them in their new box, closing the front with the screen.  The screen gives them the ability to see out into the coop while protecting them from the mean girls.  They didn't like the new environment, for a brief minute, but quickly settled in comfortably - they seemed to like it.  I put them back into their coop and run during the day.

After full integration I'm gonna work on getting them to roost.  Their roost is low but I wonder if it's because the Silkie and Polish have difficulty seeing with all those head feathers?  Anyway, one step at a time. 

Sorry Laela (the Polish) has such a ratty tail, she is molting and just woke up so she hasn't had a chance to make herself presentable.  Shhh...don't tell her I posted this picture! ;)