Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: SurreyLass on September 01, 2011, 20:56
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I am full of questions at the moment - sorry, its the change of set-up and the 2 new girls to get my head round!
My 2 bigger girls are currently occupying the new setup, and tonight I lifted the roof to see how they were sleeping (they moved in on Saturday), and despite a lovely big roosting bar, one was on the bar, and the other was sleeping on the floor almost underneath her - is this normal?
They looked happy enough, but I was expecting to find them both on the bars.
Thanks
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some birds need teaching how to roost. When they are sleepy lift them onto the perches - you may need to do this for several nights but most do get the idea eventually.
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Joyfull is right, it would only take a few days for them to get used to putting themselves up there. My concern would be the roosting one messing on the one lower down, not pleasant really if it can be avoided.
Hope they soon settle in.
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most of my hens dont roost at all (I gave up trying to show them how!) some sleep in the nest box, the only problem with this is the eggs can get poo on them but they wipe clean easily enough so we leave them to settle where they like!
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My girls have gone from been on the perch to sleeping on the floor of their house.
Haven't a clue why they have changed?
I just make sure the floor & nesting boxes are clean each morning.
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most of my hens dont roost at all (I gave up trying to show them how!) some sleep in the nest box, the only problem with this is the eggs can get poo on them but they wipe clean easily enough so we leave them to settle where they like!
Sorry but getting dirty eggs isn't the only problem - because of the pooh being on the floor it is very easy for them to get some in their eyes - which results in a nasty infection and needs topical anti bacterial drops (talking from experience here with one of my sabelpoots a couple of years ago) and the only way I found around this as she wouldn't use a perch was to put a slatted floor in their coop (like Eglu's have) so the pooh drops through.
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I think possibly I looked in on them too early and they hadnt properly settled, as the location of poo, and marks on the perch suggest they are both up there!
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I am sure you are correct Joyfull (and far more experienced than me) but our hens have never had eye problems and as far as I know none of them roost (certainly when we look in when they are asleep they are in the nest box or on the floor). I also cant imagine how roosting would make much difference to the amount of poo that could get in a hen's eye, they move around in the coop a lot whilst settling down and dig around in the hemcore whilst in the coop so wouldn't they get poo in the eye then?
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Mrs Poot used to rest her beak on the floor when she fell asleep so her head was often in contact with the ground, several different antibiotics and then swabs proved what the cause was.
All I can do is warn people that this could happen to their hens if they are not careful.
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You are right to do that of course, I am sure it will be helpful to know