help! Need a "frizzle" expert.

[Mr. Frizzles Hen House]

I have 20 week old chickens. My rooster is a Black Cochin Frizzle. He has not joined his girls on the roost yet. He makes a nest on the floor by the hatch door. I thought he was guarding until I closed them in for the night, but I've never seen him up on the roost which is about five feet high. So, I asked the guy at the feed store and he said he can't fly since his feathers turn up. There's a ladder to get up, but he said he probably would only hop off once and realize it's too high. Is this true? Can frizzles fly at all? Should I add a lower roost, or drop the existing one so the hens are forced to roost with him. We didn't want a rooster but he has really grown on us. I don't want him to be lonely

 

[Lobzi]

Mr. Frizzles Hen House :

I have 20 week old chickens. My rooster is a Black Cochin Frizzle. He has not joined his girls on the roost yet. He makes a nest on the floor by the hatch door. I thought he was guarding until I closed them in for the night, but I've never seen him up on the roost which is about five feet high. So, I asked the guy at the feed store and he said he can't fly since his feathers turn up. There's a ladder to get up, but he said he probably would only hop off once and realize it's too high. Is this true? Can frizzles fly at all? Should I add a lower roost, or drop the existing one so the hens are forced to roost with him. We didn't want a rooster but he has really grown on us. I don't want him to be lonely

Id say you want to add a lower roost or step so he can access the one at 5 feet. I bet he wants to be there but cant. I have a frizzle roo and he uses all the lower roosts to work his way up to the top one.​

 

[ChooksinIowa]

My frizzle rooster roosts on the floor or lays on a goat's back. My frizzle hen flies up to the roost at about 4 feet high. She doesn't do it as elegantly as some of my other birds. I never see the roo trying to fly up there. He does hop onto the goats backs when they are lying down. He also hops up on a little egg laying box that I have in there. So I can't officially answer the question except to say that my frizzle hen does fly, but not extremely well, and my frizzle roo doesn't fly at all.

I'll be interested to read other's viewpoints!

 

[Mr. Frizzles Hen House]

Thanks! That helps me have a better picture of what's going on. It never dawned on me that he wouldn't be able to get up with the rest. We got two frizzles at the last minute... Just for fun. The hen never frizzled so she flys just fine. I always hear how dumb chickens are, but after watching them they have quite the personalities. My boys love "Mr. Frizzle" and my husband will only talk to and pick him up (not a chicken lover). I think I will try to add the lower roost. I have a spcae under the nest boxes (which no one is using yet). Come on eggs There is already an angled ladder to the high one. I just hope some of the others will join him down low. Poor little guy.