Droopy Tails While Roosting?

[bleith]

Droopy tails are normali believe. Mine are close to same age as yours and have been doing that for quite sometime.

 

[nurse_turtle]

All my large chickens' tails droop when they roost. I'm assuming it has something to do with balance. Besides, who wants to worry about holding their tail up while they sleep. Normal sleeping posture.

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
Whether or not chickens are classified as perching birds doesn't mean much to me. The fact is they do roost and this roosting is fascilitated by their flexor tendon which in fact locks their feet down on the roost when they are at rest. This is well supported by the literature I cited and referenced. Also, flat perches are not good for their feet. We should be providing them with perches that simulate what they would use in the wild which would be 1 1/2 - 2 - 2 1/2 inches in diameter. This enables their feet to do what they are designed to do.

 

[Kadjain]

I'm just putting this pic up as reference.

This Leghorn would roost on this same branch every night when I let it and it was a big plum tree with lots of braches to choose from. I had to place it in the coop for about 3 night in a row to break it of roosting here and condition it to the coop.

Here are two branches I used for roosts in the coop.

 

[epeloquin]

This is a great example.

The tree limbs are perfect size and the 2x4s have the narrow end up so they can roost on the narrow end which enables their feet to lock down.

On the flexor tendon - my 14 year old son observantly pointed out that you can see the flexor at work when chickens are walking. When they lift their leg, their knee bends which pulls the flexor which in turn pulls their foot closed until they begin to straighten the leg again as they put the foot down.

 

[WalkingTreatMachine]

Thanks Everyone! Now that I've been checking, the droopy tails happen every night, and no sign of illness. I know the pics were intended to show the roosts but droopy tails were also evident! Thanks! But now you've all also brought up another previous question of mine. After reading threads and threads and threads about the flat vs. Round roost issue, I had decided to try both. Unfortunately I had to set one about a half inch higher than the other, due to space issues. (I used a 2x3 width the 3" side up so... Middle of the road between the skinny and wide side of a 2x4. Initially they slept on the higher, flat roost (for a couple of days, probably because it was higher- a whole half-inch higher from which to survey their kingdom) and they are now back to their original roost, the lower, round roost... so roost shape and chicken biology must be of a higher importance.

As far as giving them the flat side of the 2x4 to roost on so their toe feathers are covered, mother nature knows best... EXCEPT... that since chickens are native to Asia, could climate or other factors maybe cause them to prefer one type of roost in their natural environment, but when subjected to different temps or otherwise, might they prefer a different type of roost? I suspect that they prefer a certain size of round roost for that reason, as it is an organic shape, and yet the right size will allow them to grip while still being able to cover their feeties? What does everyone else think?



Sometimes I like to split hairs.... But just for curiosity's sake and because I love the lightbulb moment when a long-debated mystery is solved

 

[epeloquin]

Quote:
As to their feet keeping warm, check for yourself. I did, and I found that my girls' feet were VERY warm. When they roost them rest down on their feet so their feet are covered with their fluff and belly feathers which are very downy and VERY warm. Just go to your coop on a cold night and slide your hand up under their belly so you can feel their feet and you'll see what I mean.

As to their origins being tropical/sub-tropical, you are correct, but you must also take into consideration the breeding that has taken place. For instance, I have Plymouth Rocks and Rhodies, both of which are New England breeds bred for the harsh New England climate. My girls love the cool weather. On the other hand lots of silkies, Welsummers, Sumatra etc. are bred to handle warm weather better.

 

[centrarchid]

Red jungle fowl, as a species, range into the foothills of the Himylayas where climate is temperate and winters can be fairly cold although not New England cold. Our domesticated chickens are likely derived from the warmer southeastern Asia populations of red jungle fowl to cold tolerances imparted by them hard figure. As Eloquin indicated, selective pressure of a couple to a few thousand years of more temperate conditions following initial domestication surely have an effect.

Many of my free-ranging birds roost in trees and some do move as a function of weather (temperature and wind). When wind chill becomes more extreme they will shift roost from exposed branches of oak trees to either buidlings or pine trees which provide more protection from wind. Feet seem not to be challenged so long as birds are in good nutritional status.

 

[mommissan]

And all this time I'm wasting dimensional lumber in the coop. I should have been dragging brush instead! Nice roosts!

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
All mine sleep like this too. I think it has alot to do with balancing too.