Author Topic: How do you teach a chicken to perch (Read 2764 times)

Justin · « **on:** December 04, 2016, 05:34:17 pm »

We have 10 chickens who free range but are housed in a Green Frog hen house which says the recommended maximum is 11 chickens and there seems to be plenty of space for them all to perch.

However, one of them resolutely has been sleeping in the nest boxes which leads to poop all over the straw and the eggs every day. I've started closing off the next boxes with boards in the late afternoon and removing them in the morning in the hope that would get her to perch but she just sits on the main floor in the litter trays. It's stopped there being poop everywhere but hasn't fixed the problem

I'm now going out after dark and opening the house, picking her up and getting her perched on one of the perches but the next evening she's sat on the floor again.

Does anyone have suggestions on what else I might do to teach her to perch?

Eve · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2016, 07:41:46 pm »

I've done the same evening routine as yours (moving the bird into the right place) with some of mine. On occassion I was about to give up when suddenly birdie caught on - took two weeks though

Blondie · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2016, 10:20:45 pm »

I use to have Pekin bantams and gave them the choice - it seemed that they would usually perch in the summer when it was warmer and then in the winter they would all pile into the nest boxes together and snuggle up in the straw. I'd just clean the top layer of straw out or fluff it up so the poo fell to the bottom.

By any chance is she a low ranking hen and so on the end of the perch and not snuggled in the middle of the flock where it might be warmer?! Just a thought!

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2016, 11:41:48 pm »

Just a thought - what profile are your perches? Our hens would not use a small round-section pole like a broom handle, but are perfectly happy with square 3x3s.
We do notice that a hen which is not feeling great, or who is being bullied by others, will spend the night in the nest boxes, so maybe watch out for bullying.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** December 05, 2016, 09:59:53 am »

I agree she's likely to be at the bottom of the pecking order or ailing for something as yet unseen. I prefer to use cut branches as perches - they can be burnt in case of red mite and offer a rough surface for better grip.

Alex_ · « **Reply #5 on:** December 05, 2016, 03:41:12 pm »

When I had chickens they would do this and they would change positions depending on mood.
One night just one would be in the nest box while the other two would perch as close as possible. The next night 2 would be in one nest box and one would be in another or they would all be in their own nest box.

I just let them get on with it and remove the poop when needed they were quite happy with it

Dans · « **Reply #6 on:** December 07, 2016, 12:00:18 am »

I've had two non-perches, my Cockerel and our first home raised hen.

In both cases we went in and popped them on the perch after dark. It took our 2 less than a week to catch on. Keep putting her on and she should catch on.

Dans