[stujem]

Sorry if this question makes me look think,   but I read about chicken bedding etc, but I thought my chickens just go to sleep on there perch all night; there perch is around 4 inches from the floor, so why the need for bedding?. I put saw dust on there floor for them to walk on and easy for me to clean up, I use saw dust, toped with a layer of straw on there nesting box. Do the chickens sleep on the perch all night or do they go to the floor?

[orchardlady]

Just a little confusion on the interpretation of bedding. Just as you do the 'bedding' goes on the floor. Don't worry your not thick at all.

I personally prefer Aubiose you can get it from horsey feed suppliers. It's non dusty and very absorbent. I would try not to use sawdust as hens really prefer a dust free (as possible) environment. Also there is a school of thought that straw is not a good idea either as it can make a perfect hiding place for the dreaded Red Mite...think little tubes. As I don't use it I cannot give a definitive answer.

Yes you are perfectly correct. The birds should (but don't always you can always get the odd contrary one) perch on their perches at night.  

[stujem]

Thank you for that reply, I thought i was going mad hearing about chicken bedding, thinking we sleep in a bed with all our bedding to keep us warm!. The straw I do use your right has a tube like middle, I have been putting red mite power on it, dont know if this makes it ok to still use?.

[orchardlady]

Hi Stu. I don't know how long you have been keeping hens possibly not long. Red Mite are the most horrible blood sucking wee beasties you can imagine. They live in the bedding and the very fabric of the hen house. I'm sure that if you search the forum..just type in ...Red Mite...you will find oodles of posts about them. They must not be underestimated at all costs. They make the hens lives Hell and can kill due to anaemia. It has been a particularly bad year this year. You are on the winning side with the weather at the moment but must must must be vigilant from late February early March time. As said I personally do not use straw but there may well be other members who do and have a more informed opinion on it.

Apologies if I sound patronising re the Red Mite.

[jinty1911]

I am new to chicken keeping too and after reading some of the posts on this site, the red mite fills me with terror!! I check the house every day for it and dread the first time I come across it.  Have already got the parasite killers ready and hope they work!!
Jinty

[heygrow]

Yes you are perfectly correct. The birds should (but don't always you can always get the odd contrary one) perch on their perches at night.  

I am new to chicken keeping and just read this am and now concerned. Our chickens have been sleeping in the laying boxes (on straw) since we got them back in August. Should I force (encourage) them onto the perches? I clean out the poo every day from the boxes.

[orchardlady]

If your birds are sleeping in the nest boxes try blocking the access off or if you cannot do that put an old shoe box in there so there is no room for the birds to get in. You can also try gently lifting the birds onto their perches from the nest boxes. This is quite a good opportunity for you to gain confidence in handling your birds as they are left 'flapped' when it is nearly dark than in daylight. The reason to encourage sleeping on perches is to stop them pooping in the nest boxes and then laying their eggs in a dirty environment. I also believe it is a more natural way for them to be spending the night.

Yes the Red Mite are horrifying but if you are vigilant and look at night and you are unfortunate enough to discover the little blighters there is lots of information on the site to help and lots of like minded people who will be ready to advise and encourage. Try not to live in fear just be ready, hen keeping should be a pleasure for you definitely not a horror!

[Sylvester]

I'm a new (since May this year) hen keeper (ex-battery girls).  Mine don't perch at all, tried a stand in their sleeping accommodation, but nope, they laid under it, beside it - instead they huddle together to one side of their home.  I use elephant grass, course enough to clean out (two/three times a week), I soften the seperate sleeping areas with same grass plus dust free wood shavings.  Whether this is right or wrong I've no idea, but my 6 girls lay between four and six eggs a day, every day!  Yes mine have / had red mite, messie process dusting them.  We've done it twice in the last month (once we discovered the blighters).  Now we check their living quarters and the girls regularly.  They are still evident, but we're on top of it hopefully, dusting under their bedding too.  How do you get chickens to perch?

[compo]

 We use a shredder to shred all the free newspapers, use as bedding in the nest box. Once you have the shredder, the bedding is free 

[girliesx4]

hi - we also have ex-bats and they will not perch for love nor money - The non ex-bats are fine but have no influence!  As long as the girls are happy i would leave them where they are.  We poo-pick in the nesting box every morning so no dirty eggs and this seems to do the trick (must have lazy layers as we never get an egg before 10AM

[jinty1911]

Mine were not used to perching when I got them so let them sleep in nest box until they had settled in and then blocked off box for a couple of nights.  I thought they perched after that until last night!! One was in box again.  I moved her 5 times and she kept sitting on floor.  Thought she eventually perched but just checked them and there she is on floor again!!  Have put her back on perch and will check again in 15 minutes but think she just likes the floor.
Jinty