Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Scubapunk on August 23, 2009, 15:49
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My chickens are sleeping at night in the nesting box on the right not on their perch. The perch is secure. THere is two of them. Any ideas?>
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Hi SP
Some girls need to be tought how to perch, I've found it really depends on how they were reared, if brought up by a broody hen she will show them whats what, even then there can be an odd one that doesn't do it ::)
Best bet would be once it's dark pick them up and place them on the perch, you may need to do this for a day or so but they will get the hang of it :D
I have one who still refuses at 2 yrs old, no matter how often I move her so with her I just pick her poops up every morning so the box is ready for the others to use :D
Welcome to the forums by the way :D
Sarah :)
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Okay, I'm no expert, so don't take what I say too seriously, but those perches look stonking big to me. I believe they should be no bigger than around two inches across(?). I hope someone will come along to clarify this! They also need to be rounded off so they are more comfortable for the hens to wrap their toes around.
That said, I have one hen that has taken to sleeping in the nest box and laying an egg first thing in the morning. I just let her get on with it. I think she will want to be with the others when the weather gets cooler. She's low lady on the pecking order.
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i was told that the perches should be about 2.5 to 3 inches wide with the sharp corners rounded off.
when we first had ours, they tried to sleep on the floor, so they were placed on the perches, also when we had one go broody, we had to block the nest boxes off at night, or she tried to sleep in them.
martyn
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I had two hybrids who never perched, I never put them on there just in their coup of a night and they happily snuggled up together in one nesting box!
My new hybrid, I put on the perch as the other hen took a dislike to her so put her there manually the first week to keep her out of the other hens way, and now she is finding her way to the coup by herself and she gets on well with the other hen, she still roosts on the perch. Maybe it is just what they get used to?
It doesn't seem to make any difference from what I can tell - I am a novice though! Been keping hens for 18 months, but only had three!!
Catt xox
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Lulu always goes in early and snuggles into the nest box....possibly because there's a draught from the pop hole until I shut it when the others have roosted. With my cube I can easily get in and move her (asleep...aaaaaah!) into the perching area but I have to do it EVERY night. ::) I know she doesn't move back because the nest box is clean when they lay early morning. I'm persisting because one of the many good things about the cube was no daily poo picking....it falls into trays below the perches.
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It took months for one of mine to perch along side the other two hens but eventually she got the message.
Diane
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Either shutter off the nestboxes at night or be prepared to get up early and clean the boxes in the morning before they lay. Certainly try to encourage them to roost on their perches as well.
For L/F hybrids perches shold be typically about 5cms X 3cms with the edges beveled or rounded so they can grip round with their claws. Bantams may need smaller ones.
Regards