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Chickens not roosting

Discussion in 'Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance' started by PinkHairGirl, Dec 12, 2011.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Dec 12, 2011 #1
    PinkHairGirl

    PinkHairGirl Out Of The Brooder

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    Sep 5, 2011
    South Africa
    We have 6 chicken, the kids got them at a church bazaar and they were supposed to be egg layers but seem to be some hybrid broiler variety so they are BIG chickens
    We are not keeping them for meat but as pets and apparently they will lay so we will see

    They have a nice run and a chicken coop they all go into at night and there are some perches up for them but they never go onto them, they all just sleep in the floor.
    If they are big birds will they still want to perch? Do I need to make low perches?
    If you put them up on the perch they stay for a few seconds and then sort of crash land themselves back on the floor.

    Anyone else with hefty chickens that have helped then roost?
     
  3. Dec 12, 2011 #2
    kari_dawn

    kari_dawn Chillin' With My Peeps

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    can you post pics so we can see what kind of birds you have?

    What do your roosts look like...my birds (and many other people's birds it seems) prefer roosting on a shelf rather than a pole...
     
  5. Dec 12, 2011 #3
    stoopid

    stoopid Chicken Fairy Godmother

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    Aug 3, 2011
    Long Island, NY
    I adopted a "meat bird", the owner bought her to eat, and fell in love with her so was going to keep her.... long story.
    She is so fat, she can barely walk. She cuddles up with the silkies in the corner, I think she should be fine.
     
  7. Dec 12, 2011 #4
    PinkHairGirl

    PinkHairGirl Out Of The Brooder

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    Sep 5, 2011
    South Africa
    They are all white, someone said they could be white rocks
    The roosts are from our old pine tree so quite big
     
  9. Dec 12, 2011 #5
    georgiagail

    georgiagail Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Possum Kingdom Bantams Augusta Georgia
    Perhaps the diameter of the perches are too wide for them to get a good grip on (thus the crashing to the floor response)?

    Gail
     
  11. Dec 12, 2011 #6
    dianaross77

    dianaross77 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Grand Blanc, MI
    If they are in fact cornish x chickens, roosting can be potentially life threatening for them. They can break legs when jumping down because of their weight. I think they'd be better off sleeping on the floor.
     
  13. Dec 12, 2011 #7
    PinkHairGirl

    PinkHairGirl Out Of The Brooder

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    Sep 5, 2011
    South Africa
    apparently they are not cornish cross but a hybrid broiler variety.
    I am happy for them to sleep on the floor as long as they are happy.
     
  15. Dec 12, 2011 #8
    scooter147

    scooter147 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Missouri
    Probably physically impossible for them to roost.
    The bad news. If they are a broiler/meat chicken they generally do not live long. They have been breed for quick meat development and have a tendancy to die of heart attacks if kept much past the intended live expectancy of 8-12 weeks.
    Just be prepared for the possibility.
     
  17. Dec 14, 2011 #9
    Dark Mechanical Angel

    Dark Mechanical Angel Out Of The Brooder

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    Feb 27, 2011
    Cranston, Rhode Island
    I had chickens that were very large birds. One being a roo that was 20lb and the hen about 10lb. I had a small coop with a perch a few inches off the ground and they used it but, when I got a bigger coop and more birds and the perch was higher up it's almost like they couldn't fly up because they were so big. So if you want them to perch I recomend you make one very low to the ground.
     

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