Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: rufty on September 12, 2013, 21:17
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... me that's who!
So they refuse to sit on their perches. (It's a http://www.chickencoopsdirect.com/devon-double-run.htm before people ask). So following advice every night I go out and pop them on them. Given this is the fourth night I've done this yesterday I modified the coop so that the roof hinged open so I could have better access.
Last night I went back out to check on them about an hour after I had done this and two of them were still standing up on the bar as opposed to actually perching. This obviously has me worried that they spend all night stood up rather than comfortably asleep. One night of worry but never mind I'm sure they'll adjust.
So again out I go tonight to put them on their perches and again one is on the floor and two are sat on each other in one of the nesting boxes. The first one I try and pick up and she keeps her legs tucked up so that I can't place her on her perch, while trying to convince her she sort of wiggles free of my grip and ends up flapping her wings wildly with her claws gripping my hand. This was my chance as I could put my hand next to the perch and was able to transfer her. The second one must have been watching this so when I went to get her she did her "I don't want to be picked up pose" where she spread her wings so that how I have been told you are supposed to pick up chickens doesn't work because her wings are in the way (I said they weren't stupid). Anyway I carefully pick her up encouraging her wings back gently and try and place her on the perch. She however has learned from her sibling and only extends one foot, she keeps the other tucked up against her body. As I try to let her go she gently topples over and then falls off the perch. I pick her up again and with careful use of my little finger on the second attempt persuade her to extend a foot and stand. Shut the roof and run away.
I don't know this is more stressful for. I can only imagine this whole thing is really distressing the birds but I don't know what else to do. I'm told you have to train them to perch properly but at the moment they're training me to have sleepless nights.
I've tried leaving them to sleep where they want to but they wake up sitting in their poo which I can't in all conscience allow.
Tomorrow's plan is to construct a blanking plate for the nesting boxes that I will fit before they go to bed and remove shortly after they are tucked up in bed so that they are free to nest first thing when they wake up.
Wish me luck! The girls need it.
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I think you are a good mum, but in my opinion you need to let them be chickens. Block the nesting box by all means but if they are happy on the floor just supply soft bedding and change regularly. If they want to roost on the perch they will. Mine roost on the floor and on the perch. I don't have the time to molly coddle them. :nowink:
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How long have you had them and are they very young?
My first lot of chickens took about 5 weeks to stop sleeping in the nest box and use the perch.
I have some youngsters at the moment and they perch in the garden during the day but not yet in the coop.
Also, another thought. When i shut my older ones in at night, they are all squashed into the nest boxes but as soon as i lock the door, the climb down onto the perches. I can hear them doing it because they are so noisy. When I unlock in the morning they are on the perches (unless they hear me coming and they are chomping at the bit by the door to be let out).
You may have to keep doing what you are doing until they get the hang of it. They might still be settling in if you havent had them long. Of course some just never perch no matter how hard you try. :blink:
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I put flower pots in my nest boxes as I don't like mucky eggs.
Some perch inside the house, some sit inside the house and OH plans for stopping roof perching is rubbish.
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"I put flower pots in my nest boxes as I don't like mucky eggs."
Genius!
I was going to use a bit of cardboard or plywood to block them but I like that a lot. That's saved me about half an hour in the morning...
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"How long have you had them and are they very young?"
Well I got the first (edible) eggs from the first one yesterday and another one from a different hen today. (had two thin shelled eggs on Sunday/Monday) The third hen has yet to lay so yes they are quite young.
I'm certain they stay in the wrong place as I have snuck out at all hours of the night and found them not on the perches. This has been going on since we got them - wow! exactly a month ago (that went quick).
Since they were now coming up to lay they have stopped sleeping on the floor and started sleeping in the nest boxes so I understood this was the right thing to do now.
But yes just trying to do the right thing by them, I'd sooner not have to do this every night but better a bit of stress now than illness and problems with parasites later???
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I have 2 small flowerpots staked in the ground, one with grit other with oyster shell. Access to greens (lawn or brassicas) help them to absorb the calcium.
Perchwise though, though some have perched for weeks on end, they will sleep in odd places too.
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I just let ours sleep where they want. I've read it's not good for them to sleep as if brooding on eggs, but they seem jolly enough. We have one that's seven years old and has always slept on the floor. I think she sets the standard for the others!
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All my young birds can't wait to perch but they have had a broody to show them the ropes.
It is my older birds that are constantly trying to sleep in the nest box since I got an eglu cube. I do love the easy cleaning of the cube but having to block off the nest box on a night is a pain. I use an empty seed tray against the round hole but more often than not they push past it. They always perched in their wooden coop but the perches were higher than the nest box. I will have to try the plant pot to see if that will work.
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mine perch - nest box - and floor sleep
in the morning during the feeding frenzy I put on a rubber glove and depoo all the floor and nest boxes into a bucket - goes to the compost heap to rot
takes 5 mins to do and the box is clean for another day - healthier for the hens too
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Mine refused to perch until two new girsl arrived (who perch) and taught mine how it's done. Now they snuggle up on the top perch - the little darlings!
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I realised I never posted the outcome of all this - many apologies.
So I made a bit of cardboard to block off the nest boxes that I fitted shortly before bedtime.
Then after a couple more nights of lifting them up onto their perches first one started doing it by themselves then they all got the hint. In total it took just over a week to get them doing this. No need to fit the nest box blocker again.
Now they do this it's much better, all the nightly poo goes into the collection tray at the bottom of the house so easy to clean out every morning and no mucky eggs.
The girls are now very happily settled in and seem very comfortable, although one does still seem to still insist on sleeping standing up, maybe though she is just a light sleeper and wakes up when she hears me coming to check on them!
Thanks for the support, it is appriciated.
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That is a good result rufty. Is it your top hen that is the one that stands? If so it is probably as you have said, she will hear you coming and be alert as it is her job to warn the flock of any danger. ;)