pullets roosting on floor instead of roosting bar

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Ballerina Bird

Ballerina Bird

Songster
5 Years
Aug 29, 2014
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Hi everyone at BYC. I just brought two pita pintas home today, and they are very sweet, but now that it's nighttime, they seem to be sleeping on the floor of the coop rather than on their roosting bar. They are 10 weeks old -- perhaps they are still too young to use the roosts? I tried putting Odile (who has already emerged as braver, smarter, and more social than Odette) on the roost as it was getting dark (saw this suggestion elsewhere on BYC), but she did not seem happy about this and was having trouble keeping her footing so I took her down. Is it a question of needing a wider roost (there is a wooden bar, squared rather than round, about 2" wide)? Or are they just too young/will figure it out eventually? Do I try to put them on after they're already asleep? (That doesn't seem right -- would hate for them to fall off.) Thanks for suggestions. I will probably not bug them further tonight (have already armed my motion-sensing raccoon sprayer) but would be happy to try other things tomorrow.
 
My Orpington's only started roosting in the last week or so. They are about 3 months now, they used to sleep up on large shelf, now they have moved up higher to sleep.I think most people use wider bars though, 4" come to mind ( for bigger birds )
My adult flock all prefer different things, some on bars some on boards and some on corner shelving...
 
Thanks, Hennible; that is super helpful. This is a pre-made coop, so I will have to doctor the roosts and make them wider. I also like the shelf idea; maybe I can figure out how to do that. I'm realizing that you have to be pretty handy and DIY to do raise chickens, which I unfortunately am not!
 
Pita Pintas will get fairly large from the pictures I've seen. If you can make their roosts wider, that would help. They are young, and have just been moved to new surroundings. They are huddling on the floor because that makes them feel secure. Chickens don't like change, as they are prey animals, so it's their nature to be afraid. Once they adjust to their new home, then they will start roosting. You can place them on the roosts to help them figure out where to go.
 
Thank you, Happy Chooks! I'm going to try to replace the roosting bars today, and Hennible's response makes me think I might want to set up a little wooden platform on some bricks for them as an intermediate roost. I certainly understand their being nervous -- I know I was so relieved that we all made it through the first night! They do still seem uncertain -- they weren't eager for food this morning.
 
My hens are roosting on the floor instead of their pvc roost, we recently changed their roost from pallet to pvc,
does it matter?
 
bobrobin said:
My hens are roosting on the floor instead of their pvc roost, we recently changed their roost from pallet to pvc,
does it matter?
Click to expand...

Yes, it does matter. PVC is fairly well unsuitable for use as a roost bar materiel. PVC offers no grip for the birds and the insecurity of that leads them to choose the floor instead.
 

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