chickens in a trees at night

[beefy]

all mine live in a big magnolia tree except for chicks and broodies.

my biggest concern, if i were you, would be that the other girls will catch on to the tree roosting idea too.

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I have several chickens that don't go into the coops at night and roost in the trees - in the winter time too. They are all just fine.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
I have gamefowl and they head for the trees every night, I can get them down though. I made a long handle rod with a T at the end to get them out. Locate them with low light and put the T end under there chest and lift. They will step onto the rod and you can lower them safely down. Mine get as high as 15ft up in the trees.

 

[adorable]

Good to know this is very normal. Tonight my son put them in the barn before they all stared to head in. Right now they are locked in. But i dont think One night is going to break it. If not ,i dont think i am to concerned about it.Thanks for your replies.

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
Mine have been through some doozies, 80mph winds, hail, lightning, tornadoes (yes, tornadoes

)....the only time that I know of that anyone has been knocked out of the tree is a big guinea hen.

It had been storming hard for a couple of hours and I went out with a flashlight and raincoat to make sure no one had been blown out of the trees in the dark. While I'm standing under the trees looking up a big guinea hen fell on my head

It was pitch black, so I picked her up (she was nearly still asleep!) and put her in a dog kennel until the next morning. I guess my little bantys can hold on tight

 

[adorable]

txchicken
Thanks for that.

:.....That was so funny. Tonight. They are up in the trees again...They are starting to stay in the same tree everynight now. In the morning they are in my backyard. I look for them to make sure. Then i let my other ones out.Just having banties or any chickens for that matter to sleep in a tree is new to me. THe only thing that i am worry about is the cold temperature that we get in january and feb...In canada.

 

[fhdogs]

Quote:
If predators and/or weather is an issue where you are I'd also recommend keeping them locked in the barn for a few days (week?). That way they will feel more comfortable that the barn is their home, and be more likely to return their at night.

 

[Hopefully]

My bantams do that. They feel secure.

 

[beefy]

Quote:
the only way to maybe stop it is to catch them all one night and put them in and leave them for about a week. once they start getting in the trees it will be hard to stop them though and dont be surprised when the others start doing it too. as soon as my chicks get old enough to fly even a little bit they start trying to roost in the trees unless i herd them to the coop before dark. the winter weather in canada would concern me too. my chickens live in a magnolia tree so it provides a lot of evergreen protection for them and its also on the south side of the house so they are somewhat protected from most of the elements. but it doesnt get cold here.

 

[dftkarin]

Can heavy bread chickens roost in trees throughout the winter in zone 5 - New England? Where it dips below zero at night pretty often? My coop in unheated and not air tight but still - those 4 hens side by side on a roost seems a lot safer in the dead of winter.