I'm new to chickens. I have a flock of 11 various breed chickens that are now 13 weeks old. Nine pullets and 2 cockerels (I did not intend on having 2 and one will need to be rehomed).
I moved the flock into their coop at 5 weeks old. They took to sleeping in one of the nest boxes with the heat lamp aimed near them. They eventually got too big to cram themselves into one box and spread out into two. Once they were old enough to no longer need heat over night, I boarded up the opening to the nest boxes.
Over the next few weeks, they all started roosting. Except the Delaware cockerel. It's now been over 3 weeks and he still can't get up there. It's only 20" up from the floor (my coop is a bit over 2 feet off the ground).
He is a little over 5 pounds (the biggest for sure) and just seems very clumsy. Everyone else effortlessly jumps up to the roost. He tries to fly there and knocks everyone hilter kilter and doesn't make it up. I've seen him do this on outside perching sites the chickens favor. He's a clutz.
Is this something he will grow out of? Has anyone experienced something similar?
I moved the flock into their coop at 5 weeks old. They took to sleeping in one of the nest boxes with the heat lamp aimed near them. They eventually got too big to cram themselves into one box and spread out into two. Once they were old enough to no longer need heat over night, I boarded up the opening to the nest boxes.
Over the next few weeks, they all started roosting. Except the Delaware cockerel. It's now been over 3 weeks and he still can't get up there. It's only 20" up from the floor (my coop is a bit over 2 feet off the ground).
He is a little over 5 pounds (the biggest for sure) and just seems very clumsy. Everyone else effortlessly jumps up to the roost. He tries to fly there and knocks everyone hilter kilter and doesn't make it up. I've seen him do this on outside perching sites the chickens favor. He's a clutz.
Is this something he will grow out of? Has anyone experienced something similar?
