A reminder that chickens are birds!

[ssteiner]

Each night, I go outside after sundown and lock the door to the henhouse. My girls free range for an hour or so before sunset and until now, it's never been an issue - they always went to bed on their own. Well the last few days, I would lock up the henhouse as usual (not looking inside) and the next morning, surprise, my Gold Laced Wyandotte would be wandering the yard, while her three sisters were in the henhouse and/or run.

Tonight, I wanted to make sure that she was in the henhouse with her sisters and sure enough, she wasn't! So, I looked everywhere with a flashlight and finally heard her and glanced up and SHE WAS IN A TREE! About four feet off the ground, nestled into the branch of a lemon tree in my backyard. Anyway, I told her that she was not at camp, and even though she wanted to sleep there it wasn't safe, so I moved her (while she protested) to her henhouse.

A reminder that these beautiful animals shouldn't be living in battery cages.

 

[henryetta]

Just another reason why i love these "birds". Thanks for sharing! They are beautiful creatures arent they.

 

[Tala]

I had one that thought she belonged in trees. She was the first one to get her flight feathers clipped.

They seem content in their new house though, the roo calls them to roost with him and no one tries to go camping anymore.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

I've got one that keeps doing that too. We have 17 pullets & hens that put themselves to bed every night after free-ranging, but lately, I've discovered 1 rogue pullet that keeps flying to the top of the covered chainlink run to sleep (it's 6 ft. tall.). I now have to go out there nightly and push her to the edge of the run with the end of a rake so that I can reach up to get her.

 

[NurseNettie]

Yup, they're birds- and me and hubby are definitely bird people!! One of my indoor birds ( we have 3 cockatoos ) loves to sit on her perch on the sunporch watching the outdoor birds ( all the chickens, as well as the bluejays, sparrows, finches, etc that go to the feeders) So much fun!

 

[gocrow77]

I have had several at a time that have done this off and on that usually quit when I cull a few roosters and go back to roosting with the rest of the flock. I think it has something to do with not wanting to roost with certain other chickens. Not sure why they would rather risk an owl or other predator outside than to roost next to someone they don't like - but that's a chicken for you! Anyone else had their chickens miraculously begin roosting in the coop again after weeding out some of the older hens or roosters from their flock? I'm thinking that maybe they are getting picked on a bit by the older ones at night when they are all shut in together and they have no easy escape route??

 

[shelleyd2008]

I've got probably a dozen birds that have decided to roost in the trees. Their excuse is that they got kicked out of their normal roosting spot (the rafters over our porch

), and all the chickens in the barn pick on them. One girl was a barn-rooster, but I guess she decided she liked the living dangerously side of being a tree chicken. I'm not even sure how many are going in the tree, but at least most of them come out when that cold rain starts in!

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I think my chicken tractor was simply getting cramped. Now that they have LOTS of room they seem plenty happy to roost in their coop. They have room to roost more spread out now.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

hello folks,

I am Jeanette proud owner of Henny Penny who has for the last few weeks been living without a flock. We found her in a business district and adopted her. My husbang built a quick but nice with windows and all henhouse. She completely snubbed it! Refuses to go in.

Tomorrow while my husband is putting the wire around the 10x10x6.5 ft pen around her coop. lol I caused us to go a little overboard but am excited. Tomorrow I am going to pick up a young adult (brown leghorn) which I think is her breed. Then December 2, we have ordered 6 ameraucana and 6 surprise pullets.

You can see henny penny on Fort Worth City Chickens FB Group.
Nice to meet ya,

Jeanette

 

[gocrow77]

big_smile hello folks,

I am Jeanette proud owner of Henny Penny who has for the last few weeks been living without a flock. We found her in a business district and adopted her. My husbang built a quick but nice with windows and all henhouse. She completely snubbed it! Refuses to go in.

Tomorrow while my husband is putting the wire around the 10x10x6.5 ft pen around her coop. lol I caused us to go a little overboard but am excited. Tomorrow I am going to pick up a young adult (brown leghorn) which I think is her breed. Then December 2, we have ordered 6 ameraucana and 6 surprise pullets. big_smile
You can see henny penny on Fort Worth City Chickens FB Group.
Nice to meet ya,

Jeanette

Welcome to BYC!! Sounds awesome! Glad you gave that footloose girl a good home. Sounds like you have things all lined out and ready to go; I'm certain she will settle in just fine - congrats on her and your other new additions!​