[webwahm]

My coop came with 6 long perches but they were just slotted into grooves, I replace them but the next day they are always knocked out and on the floor.

I'm going to fix them in permanently, but I'm curious...my hens aren't laying any more (ex batts) and when I mentioned this to an ex-hen keeper, one of the things he asked is whether they had perches...could the non-laying be anything to do with not having them 'in working order' all the time?

Cheers
Adele

[Foxy]

It is natural for a chook to perch and eventually they will get the hang of it, it can take time though, particulary with ex-batts who are not used to it.

Whether they perch or not will not have any effect on laying

[doodoo]

my girls snuggle up together in the nest box to sleep and dont use the perches inside, but love their perches in the outside run, think they all have their own little habits and rituals, has never had any effect on egg laying either 

[lucylou]

hi doodoo! i had to fix my perches permanently for the same reason as you - my girls are laying me 2 eggs per week at the moment (Between 8 of them and they all perch - i think its just this time of year, hope so anyway!

[Flowerpower136]

Some of my ex batts like to perch, the rest still snuggle in the nest boxes.  Can't see how it would make any difference to egg laying.

Our perch did that sometimes, I think it got knocked out of its socket if anyone had a flap.

I've avoided fixing it permanetly because it's best to be able to take it out for cleaning, and also for checking for mites - end of perches is a favorutie hiding place.

I've got round it by wrapping a piece of string around both the socket and the perch.  It holds the perch in place, but I can slide if off when I need to take the perch out.

[IMOmimey]

i have cheated a bit, having had similar probs with perches. OH has made a sort of removable set of perches, 3 perches set as a srt of rectangle, with 4" legs at each corner, It is therefore freestanding in the bottom of the coop, and just lifts out to house it down and give the coop a thorough clean. it also means there are no fiddly brackets to clean, or for mite to hide.

[webwahm]

hmmm good points about red mite and perm perches :-)

Thought this might affect laying because I have the mantra in my head, happy hens lay eggs...ergo, mine aren't happy?  And maybe they're not happy because they can't perch and sort out hierarchy etc etc.  Have been reading so much it's all a bit of a blur to be honest.

First time I had to look in the coop at night (to check they were all in) I was surprised to see that they do actually huddle up together, some in the nest boxes and some on the floor 

That also makes me more assured over the cold weather getting to them.