7 tips to teach chickens to perch at night
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 кві 2018
- Your chickens are safer and more comfortable if they sleep on their perch rather than on the floor, in the nest box, or outside. And it’s more convenient for you when you need to handle them. But how do you get your chickens to go onto their perch at night?
First, you need to give them a suitable perch.
Second, start young if you can.
But, if you have lazy chooks, then you need be firm but encouraging until they get the idea. In the evening when you find them settling down to sleep somewhere inappropriate, pick them up and sit them on the perch. Make sure they are stable and comfortable before you leave them - you don’t want them falling off and learning that perching is painful. Once you get them up there and it’s dark, they will probably stay there all night. I find that a youngster may be more stable throughout the night if they are on the end of the perch where they can lean against the wall for extra stability. And think about who you are putting them next to - you want them to be comfortable, not spend a miserable night getting pecked by a more dominant chook right next to them. I think there is less of this if I put the new bird on the perch facing in the opposite direction to their older neighbour - a few pecks on the back aren’t as upsetting as pecks on the head.
Four, be patient and keep doing it. You might have to keep putting them up on the perch every night for a week or two, but eventually they grow up and start to assert themselves, and one evening you’ll find they have hopped up all on their own
Five - don’t let them sleep in the nest box. This can come about even with hens who have been accustomed to perching properly, if they lay late in the day and are still in the nest box when darkness falls, or if they’re feeling broody and spending a lot of time in the nest box. If you don’t want a broody hen, then you need to stop that as quickly as possible. Check out my video on how to break broodiness. If you do want a broody hen, find a safe and separate place for her and her chicks.
But don’t let your chickens sleep in the nest box. When chickens sleep they poop. If they are sleeping on a perch, all the poop falls neatly on the floor below. But in the nest box, they end up sleeping in their own poop, which is damp and irritating to their skin. And you don’t want poop in the nest box because that would contaminate the eggs. Healthy eggs are clean eggs. You don’t want the eggs that you eat to be contaminated with bacteria from chicken poop.
Six - if they are sleeping in the nest boxes, try blocking off the nest boxes each evening so they can’t get in. Of course you need to unblock them again in time for the first morning layers. I find it easier to do this the night before once darkness has fallen - I find it more convenient to take an extra late night trip to the coop than it is to get up and get there before the crack of dawn.
Seven - if a hen who used to sleep on the perch suddenly decides to sleep elsewhere, if it’s not because she’s feeling broody, then check out else what might have changed her mind. Check the perch and hen house for mites or other things that make the hens uncomfortable. Has the weather got too hot and there is not enough ventilation in the hen house? Has the manure built up to where it smells of ammonia? Before you blame the hen, make sure that the fault doesn’t lie with the perch or the hen house.
So, first make sure that the perch is a nice place to spend the night, and then encourage your chickens to sleep there, as strongly and persistently as necessary until they get the idea. Your chickens will be happier and healthier that way, and you will find it more convenient too.
For more fascinating facts, hints and tips about caring for your chickens, and the sheer pleasure of chickens, subscribe to my channel: Chickens in my garden - New Zealand
/ chickensinmygarden
Catch up with me on Facebook / chickensinmygarden - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
This is so helpful when buying hens from a production farm. They have been kept in cages and don't know anything about perches or nest boxes. This helps newcomers and those buying laying hens to find ways to teach their birds how to be chickens. Thanks so much!
And I'm sure the hens thank you for giving them a good home, poor things.
I just made a chick roost with 5 - 1/2" dowels and some scrap wood I had in the garage. I put it in the pet play pen I have set up as a brooder with my 3 week old chicks, and the chick that is highest in the pecking order jumped right on, and the others followed soon after. I didn't really need to teach them. It's super fun watching them play on it!
Excellent! If you give them something to perch on while they are young, they will teach themselves 🙂
I like this lady. Thank you for these videos.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy them.
Roosting is very important! I have been sitting my "teenage chickens" up on their perch every night and they are finally getting the hang of it!
Great! Yes I agree. It does sometimes take a bit of persistence but I'm sure they are happier in the long term, as well as healthier.
Thank you! I just received 3 hens about a year and a half old & they refuse to sleep on the roosting bar. The previous owner said they slept wherever they wanted. I’ll try these tips. Thank you ❤
Be patient and persistent. It might take several nights of moving them to where you want them but they will eventually do it 😊
Thank you so much
Thank you!!!! I love all the information!
Thank you 👍
A lot of great advice, I'll refer back to this one if I have any issues with getting mine to perch in their new home. I love your channel!
Thank you for the information!
Thanks for watching 🙂
Thanks for all the great information. I appreciate your efforts and thoroughness.
Thank you
Useful. Thanks!
Thanks for saying so 🙂
🐓Very good information, thank you 😊
Thank you 🙂
Very helpful information. It makes sense !. You have a beautiful flock, I’d enjoyed your video. Thank you
Thank you. I'm glad you found it helpful. And yes I do enjoy having such lovely chickens.
We're new chicken parents and are loving your videos. So much good information :)
Almost Homestead Thank you. I'm glad you find them useful.
Brilliant Video Thank you you have taught me a lot You certainly know your chickens
Thank you. I learn a lot by just watching them - at least that's what I tell myself, maybe I'm really just having fun watching chickens 🙂
I love your videos. Great ideas as we all suffer the same "chickafflictions" ! Your descriptions make me smile. J:o)
"Chickafflictions" ! I hadn't heard that one before. Love it! Thank you for your compliments.
great video, thanks
Thank you 🙂
New Sub. Great information!! Thanks so much! Blessings ~Lisa
Thank you for your comments and for subscribing
Noted.
Very gud advise.
Thank you. I appreciate your feedback.
Thanks ...subscribed
Thank you 🙂
Thank you I have 9 wk old chickens who have been cuddled up on a bale of hay in coup which I removed today. I also introduced 4 wk old chicks this week and was trying to get them up on roost this evening. The integration went well and I will be checking on them nightly to see their progress. Thanks so much, new subscriber.
That's wonderful. Do be persistent if they don't get it at first - they will eventually.
Best wishes 🙂
We are about to put our new chickens out in their run and coop in the next week. We have used a large metal dog crate in our garage. It was great to put extendable shower poles across the metal bars and moved them higher and higher as they grew. When we had them out in our temporary run during the day, we used fallen tree branches for them to be able to climb and sit. By the time the new coop is ready we will have plenty of perches in the coop. We have so many predators here in Central Florida from bobcats, coyotes, snakes, great horned owls and foxes to name but a few. We have leghorns and golden sex linked and they love their temporary perches. This is a great video.
What lucky chickens! I'm sure they are having lots of fun exploring their environment - it's a very "chicken" thing to do
Thank you! I was given 4 chickens who are almost 5 months old. They were sleeping in the nesting boxes and not using the purch. I blocked the boxes with a board tonight and when I checked after dark they were purching! It worked! Great teaching video!
Fantastic! Well done 🙂
If the birds are not keen on the shed it can be red mite bitting their legs. Red mite can live in the cracks in wood. Clean out the shed and spray it. I use PVC pipe for perches.
That is very true.
Super informative! Glad I found your channel as I have a move in rooster and so he won't be lonely anymore, I have decided to build a coop and get some pellets to eventually keep him company.
I do have a question though. I haven't browsed through your videos yet, but plan to when I get on my computer.
I will have 4 nest boxes and I think I'll use your advice to block them off prior to bed time and then unblock once they are all perched. My question for you though is should I leave the main floor of the coop just as the linoleum finish or should I put pine shavings for them? Or maybe I could wait until they get used to perching before putting in shavings? I don't want to do anything to encourage them to lay anywhere but the laying boxes so I'm wondering what ai should do. I plan to put them into the coop once they are fully feathered and okay to be outside when it's chilly since we are just getting to fall here where I live in Eastern NC in the US. Also not sure if I should have a heat lamp available to them and if it should be over the perch bars or just off to the side to keep the inside of the coop warm. I worry about it being lit at night though.
I would put a thin sprinkle of shavings just to make it easier to clean.
Whether they need a heat source or not will depend on how old the pullets are. If they are 'point of lay' (about 20 weeks) and you get at least four of them, they won't need heat.
Whatever you do, don't just throw young chicks in with the rooster, will you?
@@chickensinmygarden thank you so much for your reply. I definitely won't put little ones in with my rooster. He's pretty much free range all the time so my plan is to have the babies in the brooder until they are fully feathered. (I plan on getting 8 of them and they will be Rhode Island Reds.) Then I plan to put them in the coop and let them out into the completely closed in run during the day while we are at work, while keeping my rooster outside of coop and free ranging. I won't put him in with them until they are a comparable size to him. I figure the way I plan to do it, will not only allow them to get bigger, it'll allow my rooster to get used to them being there before he gets introduced into the run and coop. He's about a year old so I'm hoping the slow introduction will work.
@@CarolinaGirlCreationZ That sounds perfect! I'm sure it will all go very well. What fun having youngsters.
@@chickensinmygarden I can't wait! I am still surprised that I have decided to get chickens. Hahaha!
🙏❤️
👍
I just move the chickens to the roost I want them on for a couple nights in a row, after that they will go there on their own.
That's great. Chickens learn quickly don't they. I think they must be more intelligent than most people give them credit for.
You are so lucky you don't have foxes - it's a major drama to include fox proofing in the coop and run!
Yes we are very lucky. I hope you manage to keep them out.
Chickens are extremely fun and enjoyable.
When I moved out chicks into the coop, their perch was logs resting on the floor. But now that they’re old enough to get up higher, I built a roost, instinct didn’t kick in for them to jump up and roost. I’ve been putting them up on the perch for 5 nights and tonight the 6th night, only 2 were wondering around in the coop trying to get comfortable. I put them on the perch and they stayed, so this definitely works!
Yay! Good to hear.
My problem is my chickens are sleeping under the coop. I even put them in the coop at night and they perch and seem to leave the coop at night. Every morning I wake up and they’re sleeping under the coop like something scared them. The coop isn’t the problem but maybe I’m wrong... Any advice would be appreciated. The coop is the safest place for them and they choose to sleep out in the open run..
I just got chickens for Father’s Day. I didn’t know anything about them😂 I’m bi-polar and have racing thoughts, taking care of 10 chickens really helps calm my mind. I really encourage anyone with a mental health problem, please consider getting any type of pet. For me, I just fell in love with chickens.
How wonderful that you got chickens. They are great stress relievers, aren't they.
I'm not sure when Father's Day was in your country, so I don't know how long your chickens have been with you. (Did you know that different countries celebrate Father's Day on different days? Here's an article that describes a few - www.thespruce.com/fathers-day-by-country-1270375
If your chickens have not been with you long, perhaps they haven't yet got used to their coop. How about locking them in overnight for a few nights. Is there a door you can close to keep them in? If not, maybe block up the entrance with a cardboard box or something.
Good luck 🐥🐥🐥
@@chickensinmygarden I didn’t know that. In the US it’s June 19th. The chicks are around 2 months old and yes they are awesome. Thanks for the info and I’ll stay tuned with thumbs up!
My chickens always run under the coop when spooked and I find them sleeping under their all together some morning’s. I was wondering what you thought may be causing them to go under, instead of inside the coop?
Chickens are prey animals and have a natural fear of predators. If they are nervous of predators on the ground they perch up off the ground. If they are nervous about flying predators such as hawks, they try to hide under something. So something is spooking them. Maybe shadows of trees blowing in the wind? Car lights swishing past?
You don't want to imprison them in a scary place so do try to figure out what's making them uncomfortable. But you know that the coop is the safest place for them so locking them in at night is probably a good idea. Maybe you could set up a big box or something inside the coop so they could have the safe feeling of a low roof over them but inside? Kind of like recreating that safe shelter of being under the wings of mama hen. That's probably what they are looking for by going under the coop floor.
@@chickensinmygarden Thank you very much. That makes sense considering hawks and vultures are the main predators around them. I think I’m going to make a couple adjustments on the coop. I let them free range, but only when I’m outside with them, due to hawks. They’re really active and healthy chicks and I just want to make sure it stays that way. Again, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
My baby chickens learn on there own
They are pretty amazing, aren't they?
Thank you so much for the video. We are having an issue with our chickens foisting in the near boxes of their new coop. I will have to try your ideas. We’ve also started a new channel Roy Family Homestead. Check it out.
We all have those problems from time to time. I have just integrated three young Barnevelders in with my hens and the barney cockerel is still sometimes too shy to get up on the perch at night. I've been checking each night for weeks now and still have to move him sometimes. But persistence pays off eventually.
Good luck with your channel. It looks like you have only recently moved in to your new home so good luck with your new lifestyle too.
I’m getting 3 buff Orpington pullets. Will they automatically get on the perches in their coop? I’m getting a large Nestera Lodge just to give you the idea of the size.
They might. You could ask the people you are getting them from whether they have been used to perching at night.
For the first night or two I would just make sure they are securely locked in their house even if they are sleeping on the floor. Once they get used to your house they might decide on their own that perching is more desirable. If they are still sleeping on the floor after a week I would start putting them on the perch after dark. If they stay there for 5 minutes they should be fine all night. After a few nights of being lifted on they will probably decide they prefer to get up by themselves.
Best wishes. I'm sure you are going to love them 🙂
Why do chickens go into a hypnotic state once the sun starts to set and its time to roost?
If you watch the squabbles as they are roosting you would not describe it as a hypnotic state! Chickens don't see very well in the dark so they do their best not to move much when they can't see where they are going or what they might bump into.
More details about chickens' eyesight in my video about that if you're interested. Apart from dim light, their eyesight is probably better, and definitely different, than ours.
I have the hens that are now six months old. I got them two months ago. Their previous owner had them in a dog crate with no access to perching. To this point the still sleep on the floor. I block the nesting boxes every night because that is their favorite spot. They are not laying still. I put them on the perch but they refuse to stay. Any suggestion?
Poor things! You will need to be patient and caring with them. Make sure they always have clean bedding on the floor as long as they continue to sleep there. They might have weak muscles in their feet so give them time. Give them a low perch outside and encourage them to use it for short periods during the day. Once they are doing that, you can work on perching at night.
My problem is my rooster is to big for the perch he is 9 lbs and a year old I will have to make something bigger for him
Hi a neat cheap quick fix to deter mites is to smear your chickens feet and legs with petroleum jelly, *AKA Vaseline* , rub it well in to their leg scales. This quite safe for them but mites hate it.
Thank you. I have heard that as a treatment for scaly leg. Have you found it successful in keeping red mites away too?
Chickens in my garden : Hi, No I haven't tried it myself yet, but the theory is mites lay their eggs under the scales Vaseline starves them of oxygen and they die, and because the Vaseline seals the tiny spaces between the scales so other mites are denied access to lay more. It Seams logical to me. I haven't had the prob' yet but I think it's worth a try. Maybe it needs to be applied every few day or so ?.
Ah yes. That's scaly leg mites, not the common red mites that live in cracks in the hen house. Maybe I'll do a video about mites.😀
Chickens in my garden : After doing some research I've discovered this (bty you can get it on Ebay) >>> ua-cam.com/users/results?search_query=DIATOMACEOUS+EARTH+chickens
Some people are very keen on diatomaceous earth. It can work as an insecticide in some situations. But it comes in various forms for various uses - if you're using it around chickens you need to make sure to use one with very small smooth particles not heat treated, otherwise it can cause lung damage to the chickens and also to you. If it's labeled Food Grade it is safe.
Hi I have 3 baby chicks that eat and drink well but when I go to sleep randomly at like 2am and 4am in the night I get woken up by cherps I. Go to check but nothing wrong can you please help
Hello there. That sounds perfectly normal, especially if the chicks have some light. Even adult chickens don't really sleep at night like people do, they just doze and wait for daylight. You can probably tell the difference between normal chirps and the desperate loud noise of chicks that are upset, cold, lost etc. If they are fine when you check on them, don't worry about them. It won't be long before they get past this baby stage.
Just bought speckled Sussex, at A month old they don't seem to perch without being put there. 1 did it for A few minutes naturally but didn't stay.
Just keep doing it. They will get comfortable with the idea eventually
🌈💚🍀…..still here 😂🤣
You're going to be a chicken expert!
@@chickensinmygarden I hope so, that’s the plan anyway 👌🏻 Learning from the best 🥰
Aww, shucks ☺
@@chickensinmygarden Right, I’m off to my bed now…to have happy chicken dreams 🐣🐥 It’s late in Northern Ireland 🥱 Nite Nite 💤
@@catemc2323 sweet dreams of happy chickens 🐥🐥🐥
At 6:00 ! Do the hens lay eggs while perching ??
And what if the eggs then fall from a height such that they break down and mix with their poop?
Most of the time chickens lay eggs during the day, so they will go into the nest box to lay.
Occasionally, especially if they are laying during the winter when the daylight time is short, their egg will be ready when it's already dark and they will lay it while standing on the perch. So the egg falls onto the floor, but I've never seen one break - maybe because I have wood shavings on the floor of my chicken house.
@@chickensinmygarden thanks for reply. And I'm glad to see it. Wow I just learnt this fact from u that hens lay eggs mostly during the day and occasionally in the night!☺️
I remember when a friend of mine first got chickens. She brought them home and put them in the chicken house one evening. In the morning she went running out to 'collect the eggs' and was so disappointed that there were none! I told her to look again after work, and sure enough, now there were eggs to collect! 🙂
@@chickensinmygarden Also I have had mine drop out of a two foot high nesting box once (human error) and it bounced on the hardwood. Those oyster shells in their diet must really do the trick. :)
How far up would I keep the pirch without them hurting themselves if they fall? They are quite big chickens so I'm very scared 😁
You can start with the perch just a few inches off the ground and then raise it once you are confident plus you can make sure the floor under the perch is covered with something soft like deep straw. But if you put a chicken on the perch or she jumps up by herself she won't fall unless one of the other chickens push her.
As a general rule 30-50cm (1 foot to 18 inches) is good.
Good luck
@@chickensinmygarden tysm 🌸
Depends on the chicken bantam chickens need it lower than tradition chickens. Most people place at 12inch intervals so they can choose their own height
Thank you this is good advice but can you tell me how I can free range my chickens bc I live next to a road and I don’t want them flying out on the road
You need a good fence between you and the road. And make sure it's a thin fence, not a wall that they could perch on. And make sure there is nothing near the fence that they can perch on or they will fly from there over the fence.
I have been thinking that I should do a video about fences for chickens.
Chickens in my garden yes please that would be wonderful and the height of my fence is about 4 feet I need help bc I am getting them in a month 😄
4 ft should be enough if they are laying hens and they have enough to keep them happy on the inside of the fence.
Young pullets and roosters are more inclined to fly than laying hens are. And some breeds are more flighty than others - as you can imagine, the so-called 'heavy' breeds like Wyandotte and Orpington don't fly as much as the light breeds like Leghorns.
I am getting 4 Rhode Island Reds
Will they jump?
I been googling this and havent find anything but umm, is it normal for young stags or pullets heck even older birds like cocks and stuff to not poop or lil poop at night? Is it normal? I mean they be eating good, no signs of illness and seem really strong and full of energy. Is that an early sign of an infection, or is it like normal for chickens to not poop at night sometimes?
As far as I have noticed they definitely do poop at night. But I guess if they seem healthy I wouldn't worry about it - less work for you cleaning it out.
@@chickensinmygarden I have two birds that are not chickens, but they don't poop when asleep. I think it has something to do with the "locking mechanism" their legs use to hold them up when perching that keeps the poop in until they get up. Maybe this is what is happening with the chickens?
The kind of birds that lock their feet around a perch while asleep like you are thinking of are called passerine birds. Chickens are not passerine birds.
Fascinatingly chickens don't actually sleep like we do, only half of their brain is asleep at any one time and the other half is awake. I will do a video about it one day.
But it explains why they don't have to lock their feet around the perch while they sleep 🙂 and presumably also why they poop at night
@@chickensinmygarden Ah, I wasn't sure if chickens locked their legs or not while asleep, since in some photos it looks like they're sleeping the way my two passerine friends do, right down to the pose. Do chickens' metabolisms slow down when they sleep, the way they do in passerine birds? That could explain them pooping less.
No they don't slow down their metabolism really. Just like us it does change a bit, but digestion carries on. That's why it's good for chickens to go to bed with a full crop - by morning their crop will be empty
I've been moving my chickens out of the nesting boxes for a whole year every night but they still go and sleep in the nesting boxes! I NEED HELP! WHAT DO I DO!!??
Try blocking up the nest boxes late afternoon/ early evening before they have a chance to get in. That will give them no option except the perch. Remove the blockage after dark so the nest boxes are available next morning for laying in.
Yep, block the nesting boxes with cardboard in the evening for a few nights
I have a young cockerel who has been too shy to join the ladies on the perch (although I know he can perch) so he thought the edge of the nest box would be a good alternative. After about a week of putting him on the perch each night he finally perched by himself last night 🙂
Dear Sheryl, I was wondering as we both have and love chickens if you wanted to do you UA-cam video Collaboration together? Where for example, I started the intro of the video then you record the main bit and then I close the video encouraging people to subscribe to both our channels. Thanks in advance Ethan.
Hi Ethan It takes me ages to make a video but perhaps it could be quicker if we did it together. What topic would you suggest?
Chickens in my garden I don’t really mind. Maybe on how to successfully raise baby chicks? As I have a couple of baby chicks right now? Thanks
OK. The first thing I start with is a rough script of what the video will say. Then I plan the images to go with each section. How about you send me an email to chickensinmygarden@gmail.com with the plan?
Ok, sounds good. PS your videos may to you a long time to make but they are truly amazing and so informative! What we could do is if I recorded the first bit of the video, explaining what the video is going to be about! if you want as I edit on a different software than you do. You could send me your clips or I could send mine to you, and then I could edit it??
It's Monday morning here and I have to go to work now and won't be home for 12 hours but send me an email so I get your email address. Cheers
Just bought 2 hens and they scuffle for the corner in the 2nd floor. Rather
It must be the 'best' place to be!
My 4 sapphire gem hens are 24 weeks old and refuse to go into the coop and perch at night, they insist on sleeping out in a corner of thei run on the ground. I put them inside on the perch at night myself and they stay all night but still wont do ot on their own, I did it every night for a week, its getting cold at night now and I really want them to sleep inside and not have to go out in the cold every night and do ot for them. Im pulling my hair out. Will a rooster help if i put one in with them?
I wouldn't expect a rooster to help much. He would probably either ignore them and sleep alone or worry about them and sleep beside them where they are.
If they stay on the perch when you put them there you are on the right track. Double check that their coop and perch is comfortable, not too hot or smelly, no mites, etc. It really is a bit odd that they won't even go into the coop and sleep on the floor. Is it dark or scary in there somehow?
Encourage them that it feels safe and cosy in there and keep up the good work putting them there each night as soon as it's dark. I'm sure if you are persistent you won't have to do it all winter!
We got 6 oringtons young and they just want to cuddle in the corner of the coop :-(
Follow the tips in this video. They will come around eventually but you have to be more persistent than they are 🙂
I always put them on the perch but then they just jump down, they don’t learn to go on the perch🤔
Do they jump down even if it's dark when you put them on the perch? They usually stay there if it's dark.
Yeah they just jump down
Just jump? Not fall? Immediately?
They just sit there for a second then just look down and jump and sit on the ground
I guess if they are looking down they must be able to see. Maybe wait until a bit later. And keep trying.
You don't have to teach chickens anything if they don't have the proper cool to get in at night they do the best they can you don't have to teach them anything
I bought 12 laying hens from someone and they took horrible care of their flock. They were emaciated, almost featherless, and four of them acted like they had never perched before at a year to 14 months. I learned they call this breed "Production Red" so my guess is, they were just eggs to them. One I named mini was the worst. It was cold and rainy when we brought her home. She was missing all of her underfeathers, and her neck was bare. Pretty much everything but the wing feathers were gone. She was so skinny. I held her in my jacket and she slept in my warm arms. I believe these four learned to huddle at night in a pile for warmth and now that their feathers are growing back and I put some trainer perches around the range yard, they are one by one choosing to perch with the others at night in the coop. Their feathers are mostly in now in time for winter. They are heavy egg producers. Big beautiful brown eggs. Clocked one at over 2.9 the other day. All chickens are not the same. God Bless you.
What a lovely story. Those chickens will be so happy to have found a heavenly home with you. I'm sure they will do their very best to reward you with yummy eggs. Be prepared for them to not live as long as heritage breeds of hen but at least you will know they have a good life ❤
@@chickensinmygardenThe eggs are amazing! Watching them fatten up, get feathers, and live happily waiting for meal worms from my hands is even better. As with people, my animals come first before my needs, God intended it that way. My guess is they will live exactly the number of days intended. ❤"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28.
@@chickensinmygarden I just wanted to report we dwindled the four non-perching hens down to one hen who did not want to perch. When it got to two, they thought the nesting box was a better alternative to the floor. I did not. It took two nights putting them both up on the perch, and three nights putting the last one up on the front lower perch. I also added two sawhorse style step stool perches to get up there. I guess last night was the last time she wanted me to gently retrieve her from the nesting box and put her on the perch until she held stable. Tonight she was up there with the rest of them. What a great night! Hope all is well with you and your flock.
Well done! Long may it continue. Sometimes they revert again after a few weeks of good behaviour so be on the alert but they've demonstrated they can and will do it 🙂
I'm 72 and grew up on a chicken farm and have kept them as pets on and off for most of my life. Iv'e never heard of a chicken that didn't want to roost. Day old chicks raised up will naturally seek a roost.
What kind of coop do you have that you have to teach them. The roost must be horrid.
You are right - even young chicks will roost naturally if they have something to roost on. But lots of people have told me they have trouble getting their hens to perch at night instead of sleeping on the floor or in the nest box, so I made this video to help answer their question. I don’t think their problem is so much a “horrid” roost, but perhaps more likely that their chickens didn’t have the kind of natural upbringing that your chickens had - maybe they are rescued hens from intensive cage systems, poor things. So, yes, sometimes chickens do need a bit of encouragement to perch.
I hope you still have chickens - they can bring so much enjoyment, can’t they?
I never had that issue, whether day olds from McMurry or from broody hens. Perhaps they were bullied before they aquired them. A severely bullied chicken will go to a corner and stick their head in the corner while keeping their chin on the ground in submission. I happened upon that situation with some former city slickers who had little regard for their animals. They had purchased 50 assorted straight run chicks and had them in an overcrowded coop with inadequate roosting area. The more passive breeds were severly bullied. By that time they were hormone driven adolescents.@@chickensinmygarden