big evil stick

[MNmommy]

So I thought I would be nice and I cut a branch and put it in my brooder for my chicks. They are one week old and I thought they might want to try it out for future roosting but they are all terrified of it and are all hiding in the furthest corner away from it. They are acting like it is giving off radioactive rays!!!

Should I just take it out and try again next week or will they get used to it?? No one is brave enough to go check it out not even the tough lil' d'uccle that has napoleon syndrome!

 

[gritsar]

They'll get over their fear. They act chicken about everything new in their little world.

 

[Forgotten Amber]

My chicks are about a week old too and at about 3 days I put a stick in and they could have cared less. Hubby gets home, looks at the stick, then me, then gathers a few rocks. He puts the stick up on the small rocks so that it has about an inch of space above the shavings.

They took right to it. They don't actually roost much, but from time to time you can find 3 or even 4 sitting on it. It's especially fun to watch them run along it when they get a game of chickie rugby going!

I hope it works for you too!

(I have 12 Red Sex-link Pullets)

 

[mmtillman]

We added a ''big evil stick too, to our new chick pen..and at first they shyed away from it ..but as you can see..they like it quite well now! So funny to see them walk up and down the stick!! They actually seem to fight over the best spot now ...so be patient and they will eventually get used to and enjoy the new perch!

 

[terri9630]

I put the big stick in with my chicks but they ignore it. They roost/sleep on the side of their sand box.

 

[rendonhen]

We place a big limb in our run for our chickens and roos. I can not get the roos to share it. All 8 of them (they were packing peanuts) will be on it and push all the hens off. LOL....so we placed another one out there. They roost everywhere they can.

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

it will tramtize them and really they don't need it
are they going to roost in the trees on becoming adults?
the predators might eat them
I think I would just try and get them to be normal and for get the tree branch

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I don't have traumatized chickens and I made changes to their brooder regularly when they were small. I call it enviroment enrichment.

 

[Forgotten Amber]

They may not roost in trees like Turkeys (in case you didn't know that Turkeys roosted in trees), but they do roost in hen houses. As for causing them stress... my 2yo cat jumped in the brooder.... that is stress! They got over it quick enough with a handful of oats.

Today I introduced a mossy stick... BIG hit! Now that they are used to my roosting stick I find them on it all the time.

I say give all of our chicks a big ugly stick! Or, um... sure, they will get used to it and really enjoy it in time and my experience says very little time!

 

[karen71]

I put a stick in the brooder with my week olds- I figured they would have fun jumping on it-
they looked at it like it was a snake for a few min then started jumping on it
they love it now

leave the stick in they will get used to it