Foot stomping chickens

[mrgreeny11]

Hi all, I have recently Noticed that when my chickens are roosting for the night they tap/stomp their legs :yiipchick. They only do it every 30 seconds or so. My coop is about 40 feet from my verandah (AKA porch) and I hear it easily. Tap tap tap ect.
Has anyone else seen this or know why they are doing it. Maybe something to do with blood circulation??????

 

[iwiw60]

Hi all, I have recently Noticed that when my chickens are roosting for the night they tap/stomp their legs

. They only do it every 30 seconds or so. My coop is about 40 feet from my verandah (AKA porch) and I hear it easily. Tap tap tap ect.
Has anyone else seen this or know why they are doing it. Maybe something to do with blood circulation??????

I can only speak for myself, but I would highly recommend getting rid of those "dowel-type" roosting bars entirely. Use a 2 x 4 with the FLAT side up...gives your birds more secure footing, and during the winter months they can squat over their feet to keep them warm....JMHO, and best of luck!!

 

[aart]

They may be tapping with their beaks? ...... or resettling their feet?

Chickens do a lot of weird stuff.....who knows why they do what they do.

Larger diameter branches might be a good idea, lots of folks successfully use branches for roosts, I prefer wide side up 2x4's tho.

 

[mrgreeny11]

Makes sense to use a 2x4 cos sometimes the brown hen sleeps on top of the nest boxes and it is a flat ledge.
I used posts from trees, old pallets and recycled tin to build the coup and the roost. I used it for the roost and coup because I thought it would be more natural for the chickens and a more echo friendly alternative to buying timber ect.
(The trees had already been cut down for housing development)

 

[iwiw60]

Makes sense to use a 2x4 cos sometimes the brown hen sleeps on top of the nest boxes and it is a flat ledge.
I used posts from trees, old pallets and recycled tin to build the coup and the roost. I used it for the roost and coup because I thought it would be more natural for the chickens and a more echo friendly alternative to buying timber ect.
(The trees had already been cut down for housing development)

Yes, use 2 x 4 laying flat and I think you'll see a difference in their "attitude" !!

 

[mrgreeny11]

Thanks guys will try it ASAP! And will let you know how it goes