Buff Orpington Roost Training... And tantrums!

[drawlins]

Hello Everyone, greetings from the UK!

A week ago we got our first chickens - three 10-month old Orpingtons. I've set up a 6x4 shed as the coop and have a nice outside run with an automated chicken guard on the pop-hole. So much effort has gone into planning layouts etc etc... including a two-level roost made with 2x4, wide side up.

However... the buffs simply don't want to roost on the bar. I'd like them to, as it's cleaner and just seems...right. One roost bar is 8 inches from the floor, and the other is 24 inches - I know they don't like roosting too high being so heavy.

Tonight, I went in shortly after they started to settle down for the night, and practiced picking them up (with raisins as bribery) and putting them on the roost bar. Two things happened:

1. They hate being picked up. Using the legs-between-finger technique and keeping their wings closed, I bring them to my body securely and in one third of attempts manage to succeed. The other two thirds result in a tantrum and a hovering 7-pound chicken.
2. When placed on the lower roost bar, they stay there for a few seconds, and hop off, again and again!

Could anyone offer any advice - should I just persevere or do I simply have chooks that aren't so touchy feely?

Thank you!

David

PS I've got a wireless camera set up - see live snap taken this evening:

 

[rosemarythyme]

Since they're 10 months old, do you know if they have ever roosted before (like did the farm/breeder have roost bars that looked to have been used)? Were they ever handled before?

How dark was it when you tried putting them on the roost?

Also since it's hard to gauge size/distance in the photo, how far is the roost from the wall? It looks pretty close but since the photo has a fisheye effect it's hard to tell. Is the wood box on the right a nest box? From the placement of that box and the fact that the roost looks rather close to the wall, it may be difficult for them to get on the roost (and more difficult to get off), though at this point it sounds like they don't want to be on the roost at all...

 

[drawlins]

I don't think they ever roosted at the previous breeder's place - and were only handled for the usual checks, probably not very socially.

It was completely dark when training -they had already started to bed down for the night.

The roost bars are about 8 inches from the wall - good point about the nest box on the right hand side. I might try moving it out of the way to give more space for crash landings. I never thought a 6'x4' shed would seem so cramped with only 3 hens in it!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The roost bars are about 8 inches from the wall - good point about the nest box on the right hand side. I might try moving it out of the way to give more space for crash landings. I never thought a 6'x4' shed would seem so cramped with only 3 hens in it!

For a roost bar I'd aim for 12" from the wall at least, maybe more, since these are bigger birds. OR run a single roost bar (probably fairly low, since as you mentioned these are bigger birds) shortways across (maybe 14" from back wall) and move the nest box where the 24" high roost bar currently sits. Assuming you only plan to have these 3 for a while, as there should be enough room for them to get up to roost and land with that configuration.

Of course, that doesn't solve the issue of them not wanting to use it in the first place! Continue placing them on the bars at night and hoping at least one will take to it. It could take days, or it could take weeks. I'd also work on continuing to work with them and handling them - even if you don't need them to become your best friend, it's just a lot easier dealing with medical issues if you don't have to struggle to catch or pick them up.

 

[drawlins]

For a roost bar I'd aim for 12" from the wall at least, maybe more, since these are bigger birds. OR run a single roost bar (probably fairly low, since as you mentioned these are bigger birds) shortways across (maybe 14" from back wall) and move the nest box where the 24" high roost bar currently sits. Assuming you only plan to have these 3 for a while, as there should be enough room for them to get up to roost and land with that configuration.

Of course, that doesn't solve the issue of them not wanting to use it in the first place! Continue placing them on the bars at night and hoping at least one will take to it. It could take days, or it could take weeks. I'd also work on continuing to work with them and handling them - even if you don't need them to become your best friend, it's just a lot easier dealing with medical issues if you don't have to struggle to catch or pick them up.

Thank you for your advice - I agree a shortways bar would be better and free up some space. Will there be issues with a single roost bar level do you think - i.e pecking order?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you haven't seen any pecking order issues yet I doubt they'll magically appear from roosting. They may have "roost time rumbles" - squawking and arguing over who sits where, sometimes even climbing over one another to get to a preferred spot, but that's a very normal thing.

 

[aart]

Great advice above from @rosemarythyme!

Where is the human entry door to coop, just below the camera?

They hate being picked up. Using the legs-between-finger technique and keeping their wings closed, I bring them to my body securely and in one third of attempts manage to succeed. The other two thirds result in a tantrum and a hovering 7-pound chicken.

I would suggest picking them with both hands holding the wings down,
get their feet stable on the roost, then slowly(not too slowly) let go with a bit of a pat on the back.

Don't allow what ever light you are using to light a 'path of escape'. I use a dim headlight pointed up at ceiling to handle birds at night.

 

[ValerieJ]

All my coops are hutches, so my roosting bars are only a few inches off the floor of the hutches. They work fine for most of my chickens, but I have a couple orpingtons that prefer to make a nest in the straw to sleep. You're right, it's messy. That's why I spot clean coops nearly daily, and pull out all the straw every week and replace. Whether they are on a roost or laying in the straw, it is the same mess for me. Can't wait to get a new coop this spring! I have visions of it being so much easier.

 

[drawlins]

Great advice above from @rosemarythyme!

Where is the human entry door to coop, just below the camera?


I would suggest picking them with both hands holding the wings down,
get their feet stable on the roost, then slowly(not too slowly) let go with a bit of a pat on the back.

Don't allow what ever light you are using to light a 'path of escape'. I use a dim headlight pointed up at ceiling to handle birds at night.

Thanks for the advice! The door is just behind the camera. I have a bulkhead light on the ceiling which can be changed to any colour and brightness - so can easily set it to super dim. I've done a bit more handling, and they seem to respond better to both hands on the wings than the "proper" method of one hand between legs and one on top.

I'll be rearranging the roost bar this weekend, to go narrow ways across giving a lot more space for landing and hop-flapping up. Will report back!

 

[drawlins]

All my coops are hutches, so my roosting bars are only a few inches off the floor of the hutches. They work fine for most of my chickens, but I have a couple orpingtons that prefer to make a nest in the straw to sleep. You're right, it's messy. That's why I spot clean coops nearly daily, and pull out all the straw every week and replace. Whether they are on a roost or laying in the straw, it is the same mess for me. Can't wait to get a new coop this spring! I have visions of it being so much easier.

Thanks for the info - sounds like floor roosting might be the way they stay. If so, so be it as long as no nibbles from mice should they ever get in.

I'm poop scooping every day, its so quick and easy with the linoleum floor I put in the coop - and since I'm already changing the water etc it seems a no brainer really.