Cream legbar scare tonight

[PaulaSB12]

After forcing the chickens to stay in their run this morning by the means of making rain today (how come its my fault if it rains) I went out to put them to bed. Being a little paranoid about my hens now (I have to sadly report that when I came home on friday morning the little silkie I had been handfeeding passed away in her sleep) I counted them on their perches and had 7 not 8. Checked which one was missing the little cream legbar (can someone tell me how to tell with a silkie how to know when she is ready to lay?) I closed the run door and started to look for a chicken corpse, got a suprise though there she was at the door waiting to be let in she is alive and well and sitting on the perch. How come they go beak, bum, beak, bum on the perches? I have managed to get them to go into the run when I want so that means on a night shift they are free to roam the garden from 7 am to 4 pm and on all other days from 7am until they choose to go to bed or 9.30 pm at the latest.

 

[1Teacherchick]

Mine all face the wall of the coop with bums toward the center. Who knows why?? I think it's a habit that started as random and then became "the way it's done".

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

I bet that's how it starts. Mine don't roost in a pattern like yours, but I have some that roost with their face to the wall and some with their face to the outside. It's the same ones every night. Maybe they do that so there will be a set of chicken eyes looking in all directions so they can locate a threat better?

 

[Andrea in Texas]

I have a scarecrow inside of one of the runs and they roost in his chest...lol
The scarecrow was on the outside. Until I added on...lol

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Good idea, too! I want to see a picture of a chicken roosting in that scarecrow!

 

[RMo2]

Me too!!! Picture please!!

 

[Andrea in Texas]

Okay so this morning I was counting chickens...1-2-3-4-5-6-7...... Wheres the 8th one ? Oh my gosh ? Can't find him. No signs of trouble. He's just missing.
In tears I am wandering around the yard, looking in trees, looking for feathers....nothing.
I keep recounting. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7..... He is definirly gone.
Long story even longer.
He was in the scarecrow, chest cavity...lol....
Oh my gosh.

 

[1Teacherchick]

These chickens seem to have 'hatched' a conspiracy to give you a heart attack!