Another newbie question!

[dexterdoglancashire]

My three girls, K, F & C, are settling in well. It would certainly seem that Fanny is the top of the pecking order. I made their first warm mash for their tea - just pellets and mixed corn, with a bit of warm water - blimey! I know they have been eating all day, but they wolfed it up! Fanny was telling the other two who was in charge! I'm sure they've grown since Saturday! They are good girls and go readily into their coop at night. I checked on them, just after they had gone in, to find they were all asleep on the floor.
Question is: Should they sleep on the floor or the perch? Does it matter?

[walldanzig]

They will sleep anywhere all you have to watch is that if they are under the perch one of the others doesnt poo on them. They may eventually move onto the perch dont worry about it, It's all new to them and they will work it out eventually

[Bramble-Poultry]

I have birds that sleep on the floor, birds that sleep on the perch and birds that sleep on other birds - it really makes little difference.

Birds that sleep on the floor can suffer if the coop is not kept clean as they can get mucky and damp, but it shouldn;t make much difference if its cleaned weekly.

If you do want them to perch then after they are in bed go into the coop and lift them onto the perches - after a couple of days they will do it themselves. Although saying that theres always one that still won't do it!

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks for that. Why do some perch and not others? I'm cleaning the coop out everyday so it doesnt get too dirty. What disinfectant would you recommend?

[lottielady]

Mine sleep on the floor and all cuddled up together which is very cute

[Bramble-Poultry]

***** fluid is as good as any, you can buy ones from teh suppleirs virkon is the most common, but we and a lot of other grapes use *****

[Shellintons]

All of my birds, over the years have had different ways of sleeping. It doesn't seem to matter what breed either. I had one lot of orps which I routinely put on the perch and they all jumped off, went out of the shed and got on top of it. After a year, sleet, snow and rain, I decided they knew what they wanted and left them to it. Most of the orps I have now like to perch though. Go figure lol

[Eco-Chic]

Mine are sleeping on the floor bundled up together but also up against the door with windows in it strangely (I thought they liked to be away from the door for security).

I sneaked in the other night and put Myrtle on the perch. She promptly jumped off swearing fowly at me

Then I popped Maud or Madge up. She promptly spun upside down and fell off I know I shouldn't laugh but it was damn funny. I decided not to annoy or upset the other one (that night, anyway).

Tonight I've put in an extra perch at an angle across the first one and I've sprinkled little piles of corn and seed across both perches. Don't think it will work though - they can reach the treats if they stand on tippy toes

[MaureenHall]

I managed to get the Welsummers to perch by only having newspaper on the floor so that it's hard and un-comfy, and 2 perches at different heights. All 5 roost on the higher one (shut up about your higher perches jokes BP!! ) with Rowan in the middle and 2 girls either side of him. The perches in the low coop where the Bluebelles are are only a few inches off the ground so it's a bit difficult to see if they really are roosting but I think they are. The 10 ex-batts in the big coop (plus Jenny and Alice), 10 of them sleep on the perches and the other 2 ex-batts squash up together in one of the nest boxes. They're happy so I leave them to it, no point in stressing yourself or the chooks out (in my opinion anyway)

[Bramble-Poultry]

moi - innocent no jokes from me!!

They will do whatever they want regardless of what we want them to do, if they are happy leave them be.

[Eco-Chic]

There was a loud thump when I opened the pop hole this morning and no treats left on the perches so maybe, just maybe, somebody did try out the perch.