Roosting? A must or not?

[witch-1]

Any help out there?

My chooks don't sit on their perch! They have been going into their house every night - most nights its dark so I just lock the doors and remove the food/water ready for the morning. Tonight I decided to go that little bit earlier at dusk - and curiosity got me so I peeked in at them through the egg box and there they all were huddled together

Now I've tried but failed to read in my books about this!

Is it ok as long as they go 'home' to roost... does anyone actually know if they have to perch?

One tad confused new chook owner!
Jan

[Sue]

Witch
Hi, I suffer from my hens using the henhouse as a roost on it not in it. They are in a roofed in run so leave them to it. I just know it's out with the scrubbing brush though which was why I think they should be encouraged to perch, they apparently do most of their pooing at night so might be a bit messy in a nest box.
Hopefully someone else will have more advice for you, but I think if you go out after they've gone in their hen house and plop them on their perches they might get the idea after a while. Unless there's some problem with the perches, ie wrong position, wrong size or something like that?
best wishes
Sue

[Jardiniere]

My hens used to sit on a pole to roost but soon gave it up and sat in a tomato box with straw in it.
I've had to move them into a new space because the old hut - which must be pretty old - is beloved by rats and I am going to demolish it - so they are now in a lean to with a specially made nest box - my husband and I made it using instructions from "The Smallholders DIY"- Michael Roberts - The Gold Cockerel Series. which they are not going to use as the poor old things have stopped laying - but its ready for my new ones which i will buy in the spring.The box for them to spend the night is is an old one - they just haven't got used to it yet and I to pick them up and put them in it - hope they will cotton on eventually.

[terrier]

We've had chooks for a few years now and at night they have a bed of straw a few inches deep. Every few days, the straw goes into the dalek and the chooks get a fresh bed. They have an area of 8 foot by about 15 inches. They always bed down together at one end and lay at the other. They seem very happy with this arrangement.

[witch-1]

Thanks - they seemed nice and snuggled together. Just not alot of room left for laying! Shall leave them to it - just get them more straw to sit on! (I do a poo patrol each morning to 'freshen' up their room).

I tried again last night to get them to sit on the perch but they just got scared of my interferring and made alot of noise, so I left them to it!

Leaving them alone now for the first time as we're off camping for a few days (finally the weather allows) - so they are confined to the run. Out this morning for a last peck and run around til Saturday

I love having chickens - its great looking out of the window and watching them wandering around the garden

Jan
My kindly neighbour is going to let them in and out for me

[kirsty b]

We've had chooks for a few years now and at night they have a bed of straw a few inches deep. Every few days, the straw goes into the dalek and the chooks get a fresh bed. They have an area of 8 foot by about 15 inches. They always bed down together at one end and lay at the other. They seem very happy with this arrangement.

My girls do something similar to this too. They sleep in a straw filled box at the corner furthest from the pop hole. They have adopted a cardboard box to lay in which is at the other end of the shed. Don't know why but not complaining as they seem happy too.

Kirsty

[CountryFayre]

chickens normally perch to get out of the draught and away from predators. If they are sitting on the floor then they obviously feel secure and I wouldn't worry at all. If they start to perch outside the house or refuse to go into their house at night I would be concerned that there may well be red mite in the house. Not always the case but it is more often than not.

[TPeers]

If getting them to perch is important to you then look at the perch. What size is it? does it have rounded edges with a broad, flat top? How high off the floor of the roost is it?

Chickens have quite large feet - you might have noticed - the perch needs to be at least 2" (50 mm) across, a 3" square pole for large breeds, a broom handle won't do. The cross section should be roughly square with rounded corners - if it is round the hens fall off! Rounded corners because otherwise the edges bit into their feet and it is uncomfortable. The height is an interesting one - I went for about 6" off the deck. You need to consider if the birds will have enough head room for a morning stretch before they get down - I have large breed hens and left them a good 2' of headroom from the top of the perch. The heights and so on will vary with the breed you keep - bantams need less perching space than an Orpington for example.

All of this is written up in the books I have, Starting Chickens by Katie Thear, a book on building moble chicken runs from the Golden Cockerel series and a book from the Omlet people. The one on chicken houses is the most useful - not just the 'you musts' but the 'and this is whys'!

Not sure if this will help, but it might show why they are not perching!

Terry

[witch-1]

The perch that came with the house is about 2 inches wide and squarish. Its not too high off the floor though... but since being away I have noticed more poo on it

Not so worried as we've had our first egg now... and another one today! So girls can't be that worried.



Jan
x

[Jardiniere]

Question for TPeers re Golden Cockerel Book

Question for Terry - is the Golden Cockerel - Mobile chicken runs book any good?
I have the smallholders DIY and have made the nest box - but need to make a mobile run for my other bit of land...worth getting?

[TPeers]

In a word, Yes. While I made my own plans in the end the book is full of all sorts of useful advice about how to design what you need. How to make it easy to clean. Various ways of making the arks moble for a lone adult - lone as in only takes one..... You know what I mean!

[daisychook]

when we have had new chooks, they never seem to perch to start with and we always end up at night perching them all up (as someone else said they do most of their poo at night) and to keep out of any draughts.
If you want them to perch, then you may have to manually for a few nights until they get your drift and do it themselves!!!!

Good luck!!!!

[PJB]

I've got one that perches and the other huddles underneath the perching one! HAve tried putting her on a perch but she too got frazzled and I left her to it. Glad you got an egg, I can't wait till we get ours!

PJB

[witch-1]

I've got one that perches and the other huddles underneath the perching one! HAve tried putting her on a perch but she too got frazzled and I left her to it. Glad you got an egg, I can't wait till we get ours!

PJB

Thanks - mine also get 'frazzled' if I try and perch them. They are getting friendlier each day and two out of the three let me stroke them now! My Bluebell I'm not sure is ok - she's always 'bathing' and there are some nasty poo's in the garden. I've given them tonic and poultry spice etc. and I weighed them all tonight - they all weigh 5lbs. So shall see if she loses weight etc.
Hope you get some eggs soon - they really are delicious!
Jan

[annaradiog]

my chickens never roost, they just sleep on the coop floor, they don't lay in the nest box either, that has now become their food hopper! If they're happy it doesn't really matter.