Me again,hey,I have two plastic milk crates with 3 inches or so of straw in each for my 3 growing pullets. Almost every night all 3 birds cram into 1 nest to sleep...I'm sure they're not cold here in NC it's been over 90 degrees and 65 at night.Is this normal ? their coop is about 8' long, 4' deep,and 3' high,has a roost,and the 2 crates.I wouldn't be concerned if they didn't look so squished together in there.I have a buff orpington,a light brahma,and a silver-laced wyandotte. Thanks for any input....CJ ?
Eggsforme, Well, you just have to learn the "think" like a chicken and outthink them! How old are these girls?? If the roost is wide enough for them to roost comfortably (not a round pole or a one inch wide roost) and if they can hop up on the roost and turn around (your girls are "heavy" breeds and need room for their heads when they hop up on their roost, and is it far enough from the wall of the coop so they can turn around easily and their rears are not pushed against the wall--so they can feel secure on the roost?), I would take those milk crates out at night, so they cannot sleep in them. Place them on the roost a night or two. The nests will be poopy and the girls will be dirty on their rears. And you will have to keep putting clean nesting material for egg laying or you will have DIRTY eggs! (Are they laying yet?), If not, just wait until you find the first egg on the floor, to put the nest box back, then put the egg in the box for them to see. When they all use the box, you should collect the eggs every day. Actually all 3 hens will use the same box, you can be sure! You will only need one box with just 3 hens. You can retrain them, and when they are regularly roosting where they belong, the nest can stay in the house again. And do you have a "droppings board" under the roost, to catch the night poop, so that you can keep the floor under the roost--and board, clean for their use-- to give them the whole clean floor space, when they cannot be outside of the coop? Good luck you CAN outsmart them! CJR
CJR,these are 12 week old pullets I am referring to-the same ones I was feeding the wrong feed to until yesterday.They have about 2 feet from roost to roof,roost is 1 foot off floor.However,it is a 1.5 inch x 1.5 inch piece of wood,with corners rounded off.
Well,I removed the nest boxes and the girls all sit on the roost all night.Thanks,CJR-u r a big help.I reckon I put the boxes in there so they would become accustomed to using them,they did,too much I guess.What about a 2 x 4 for a roost? They seem comfy on the 1.5 x 1.5,but I assume their feet are gonna grow a bit more.What do you or any other readers use?Also I am figuring I don't need to start giving them oyster shell until they are almost laying?? My yard is VERY sandy,are they getting enough grit now or should I give them some free-choice?Thanks again.P.S.-my lips are better,now.
I made my roost out of a 1" tree branch, nailed to two angled 1x4's. In the wild, chickens roost on tree branches, and that is the most comfortable roost for them. Before attaching the branch to the 1x4's(a 2x4 will work just as well) make sure to flatten the side that is being attached, so when the chickens roost, it won't roll.
While, I disagree with the comfort bit for most of our domestic fowl, indeed wild fowl (and there were few types compared to the number of types of domestic fowl which have been developed over the centuries) may have roosted in trees--they had no choice. The conformation of chickens has changed. Some of the Game Breeds have more characteristics of the Wild Fowl, but our domestic breeds in general do not. Legs were longer, toes different, and wild birds, when relaxed for "sleep", the toes automatically close around their roosting site, and also will automatically close if you catch and hold one . Chickens on the other hand have a fleshy pad, larger than a 1" pole or roost board, and more padded toes, heavier bone. And their toes will not automatically close around a pole, in fact the back toe may not close at all. When you pick up a chicken, the toes will do not close automatically and will have to do so by will.
Cjr, what exactly do your roosts look like? Something new to think about. I have found that my birds don't like bamboo roosts, too smooth and slippery. I use branches, they seem to work well, I think I will give them both branches as lumber, let them choose. I presume we shouldn't use treated lumber. Also, I have read that roosting for the very heavy breeds is tricky and should not be very high off the ground as it will hurt their breasts when they jump off, would a Jersey Giant fall into this catagory? Thanks.
Gallina, Most of my birds are bantams, kept in breeding pens of pairs, trios or foursomes. Their night roost is about 5 1/2 feet up, over a shelf. I have galvanized trays (shavings lightly on the bottom for a clean tray, when emptied--about once a month.) over the trays is a 1"x2" wire extending over the entire tray. Keeps the birds out of the droppings, which all fall through. They have two roost bars about 5 inches apart, roosts are 2 about 1" x 2" about 4-5 inches above the wire and the full width of the tray, which vary to fit each pen, about 25-30" x 16-20inches. The birds roost close together and can choose either front or back one. Pens are divisions in the poultry houses of different widths. The largest ones are the full ends of the houses, for young birds, up to 15-20 at a time, until sold or moved to a breeding pen. Their roosts are about 6 feet long (over a shelf, as a droppings board, and are a single 1" x 2 or 3" board and the birds roost side by side. All the roost boards in all the pens have another roost board to land on, just in front of the shelves, for the birds to fly up to, and then up the short distance to the night roost.
Thanks for the information. Only one of my hens is a Jersey Giant, the others are mixed. I really didn't want one as large as she will get but she needed a home, oh well. You answered another post, about egg freshness, did you mean that the yolk breaks on eggs that are not fresh and this is one of the ways of knowing? Thanks.
I find my chickens will not roost on the branches I cut from trees. I thought I was pretty creative with these branches but none of my chickens will roost on them. I also have a 1 and a half in square beam that they will roost on. They definitely prefer the squared off wood. Also, in another coop I have in the barn I have great success with a 1 and 1/2" roost that I nailed to two stumps. Its 8' feet long and only about 18" inches off the ground. They all sit in a row and look great.
Gallina, Yes, if the yolk breaks when you crack into pan or bowl, it either has some very rough handling or is probably 3 or more weeks old. Lots of store eggs break, but while indicating freshness, it does not mean the egg is not perfectly edible. And you know, sometimes when we break the shell, we also puncture the yolk covering, so it breaks. CJR
By Cjeanr on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 11:39 am:
By Eggsforme on Tuesday, June 12, 2001 - 07:01 pm:
The birds seemed to like it -roosted on it regulary,but for the last few nights they've been cramming into the one nest.I think I will take your advice and remove the milkcrates for now,they won't need one for a couple of months.The part of the floor under the roost is 1/4 inch wire mesh-the majority of the droppings fall through to the ground-un-accesable to the birds.would a 2 x 4 be a better roost ?(turned sideways)By the way,I keep trying to think like a chicken,but my lips are getting pretty beat-up from pecking on the floor!
By Eggsforme on Thursday, June 14, 2001 - 09:42 pm:
By Anonymous on Tuesday, July 3, 2001 - 11:03 am:
By Cjeanr on Tuesday, July 3, 2001 - 02:44 pm:
But after this, there is no reason not to use what you wish for your birds--and if you feel they are secure and comfortable, that is right for your birds, and others who use poles or other round roosts. Yours may roost just right! I do not wish to tell you that you should not use branch or pole--but there is a reason that when chickens were brought to live or roost in houses, the design changed along with the shape of the chickens. Please, I do not wish to be critical to you, only want others to know there options and why. CJR
By Gallina on Wednesday, July 4, 2001 - 05:13 am:
By Cjeanr on Wednesday, July 4, 2001 - 03:57 pm:
The only times I have raised heavy birds, such as your Jersey Giants, they were for the freezer, and thus I only had them for 9-12 weeks. They spent the days outside, and had roosts, usual 1" x 2-3" boards, only 24inches above the floor--straw underneath to remove for cleaning frequently under the roosts. Bumble foot is more common among heavy birds that must drop a distance from roost to the floor. Actual height will depend upon the floor space of your coop, but I if I had them, my roost shelf would be little more than 3 feet above the floor and the roost 6 or 8 inches above
the shelf. Shelf width must be enough so the roost wil l allow the birds to rest without tails crushed against the wall, and no crack at the back to allow droppings to reach the floor! I am so fortunate to live on an old farm where I can find dimention lumber everyplace and can usually find just what I need and what will work best. And I can easily change, if something seems more comfortable or convenient for me to care for the birds. There is no one best way, so try to do what is best for both the chickens and yourself! Good luck, CJR
By Gallina on Thursday, July 5, 2001 - 05:20 am:
By Heidi on Thursday, July 5, 2001 - 08:27 am:
By Cjeanr on Thursday, July 5, 2001 - 01:07 pm: