Droopy Tails While Roosting?

[epeloquin]

Quote:
I have a branch in my run that is about 1 1/2" at one end and maybe 2" or so at the other. I call it their 'day roost' because a lot of times during the afternoon they will roost there for a little siesta. But their roost in their coop is made from 2x3s with the edges rounded over.

 

[Kadjain]

Thanks for the compliments on my roosts! I was lucky I hadn't cut those two branches into fire wood yet.
A couple more pics of'm

The nest box area was a part of another coop that they were already use to so the majority of birds roost in there. I wish they would start using the other roosts, it would be faster to clean if they all chose the same place to roost. Also the nest box area was never really meant to be a place to roost. The 'roosts' are just there because I am a lazy carpenter and meant for them to get into the nest boxes.

 

[travhal]

Sometimes it shows weakness in chickens health. My chickens had their tail down 6/20 of my hens while they were eating and perching, so I called up a few people and they said it was probably coccidiosis. I ended up losing 3 hens from that disease but I have now cured them using medication.

 

[nurse_turtle]

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
A droopy tail when off the perch is a definite red flag. I just had a sick girl and her tail was down until she began feeling better. But on the roost it is totally normal.

 

[Kadjain]

Quote:
Are you saying tails down while roosting could be a sign coccidiosis? I don't want to belittle the question but the angulation of the tail is controlled by muscles. While sleeping the tail muscles relax like all the other muscles in the body. Therefore relaxed tail muscles = downward angled tails.
This should help answere the other question about 'locking tendons'. With all the muscles in the body relaxed there must be another means of keeping the feet firmly gripping the branch/roost at night. It makes sense that evolutionary adaptation would request a locking mechanism for this purpose. A bird that evolved to have a locking mechanism for secure perching at rest and continues to display this mechanism through domestication should be considered a 'true perching bird'. That would be my argument anyway.
You wont find 2x4's naturally in a forest and 'I think' a rounded branch would be easier for gripping in a tree all night through strong winds. Which I have seen my chickens do.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
If that were, in fact, true, then it would not be ridiculously easy to remove a chicken from a roost at night, would it? But as anyone who has lifted a chicken off a roost at night knows perfectly well, their feet cannot "lock" onto the roost.

 

[JodyJo]

I just have to ask...its 40* and you have a heat lamp on them? Why?

Chickens do not fair well in heat, as we all know.

We hit -29* last night, I don't have any added heat...they do fine...come running out in the morning, ready to go.

Many will say turn it off...you are doing more harm than good...they don't need it...
Others will disagree...more heat, added moisture, chance for frostbite...just my honest opinion...

 

[WalkingTreatMachine]

Quote:
I agree, and as I said, I was just trying it out. I had recently wired it and just wanted to make sure it does work, and is the appropriate wattage (so it is not too warm) in the event of very cold weather later in the winter. I didn't have it on for more than a few minutes, but thank you for your concern and input!

 

[epeloquin]

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