How to make bedding for hen who sleeps on the floor?

[CAWvid]

Is she not roosting on the roost bar because she can't get there or because she no longer had enough balance to stay there? If the former, can you build her a ramp so she can walk up?

If that is not the case I would try a pile of hay.

It's a bit of balance but mostly athritis I think. Once in a blue moon she'll roost. I made her a low perch that she doesn't use. Though I should make a ramp, as when she does go up she has a particulary hard time getting down.

 

[CAWvid]

Coffee grounds. Our closest TSC had them last spring but doesn't now. They may still be able to order them. Or you can save your own if you drink coffee. Some people get them from coffee shops or restaurants.

Maple leaves if you live far enough north or cotton hulls if you live far enough south.

Don't live in America so neither maple leaves or cotton are an option but I might be able to find a place that'l sell me coffee grounds. Thanks. I've gotten a few good options to try.

 

[aart]

Don't live in America

Where in this world are you located?
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Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
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[CAWvid]

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 2888070

Thanks, I've done it. I live in New Zealand.

 

[bruceha2000]

Do you live anywhere near @JaeG ? She is north of Aukland.

It's a bit of balance but mostly athritis I think. Once in a blue moon she'll roost. I made her a low perch that she doesn't use. Though I should make a ramp, as when she does go up she has a particulary hard time getting down.

Yep, a ramp is in order. I didn't have one for a number of years, then I added one going from the 2' high roost to the roosts at the 4' level. Didn't want the older birds hitting the ground hard since chickens don't "glide" much better than a brick (other than maybe when they are young).

Persephone is now a month shy of 9.5 years old, the last of my original flock of 12. She started roosting on the edge of the nest box, facing in. There is an access perch at 18" so I guess she could still hit that. She had been walking oddly and favoring her right foot though I could see no issues with it.

I added a ramp to the 2' high roost going down to about 4" off the ground about a week ago. I watched her last evening. She went all around it, looked at it from all angles then jumped up on it where it was about a foot off the ground. Not sure why she didn't just start at the low end. In any case she has been up on the roosts every night since I added the ramp. They wake up way before I do so I don't know if she jumps down from the 2' high roost or makes the 180° turn and goes farther down the new ramp.

but I might be able to find a place that'l sell me coffee grounds.

Sell? Have you tried a coffee shop? I would think they would have many, many kilos of spent coffee grounds and wouldn't mind you taking some off their hands. I've heard they are good for the compost pile as well.

 

[jgarner1327]

My hen Sneeze is to old to roost. I've had a hard time finding a good beding solutions though. She needs to sleep on somthing soft or she gets blisters. The vet told me to use wood chips, well Sneeze HATES woodships I found. When she found them in to coop she made anxios clucks and chose to sleep out side. I thought she just needed to get used to them so put her in for a few weeks. She still tried to sleep outside, even in the rain. So I looked it up and there is evidence pine shavings are toxic. This seems to suport that and either way, I didn't want to keep forceing her to sleep in it since she clarely doesn't want to. I can't find any other types of wood shavings.

For a while I was puting a pillow in an old feed bag but it still ended up getting wet eventually so thats not going to work long term.
Hay is softer than straight on the floor but it quickly compacts and becomes quite hard so I idealy would like somthing better.

Please, has anyone found a good long term solution to this sort of issue?

I put straw in wooden wine boxes with sides that are 6” high, and an old wooden milk crate, and a cardboard box. Sometimes they like to sleep in those, and sometimes on a roost. I clean them out every day and add some new straw.

 

[LoveMyGurls]

Mine go to bed in a little coop at night and I've lined it with straw. I've taken out the roost bar as none of them was using it and it was getting in the way. They go in and make nests out of it and seem to really like it. I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I'm all wrong for doing that but my girls lay in it and then start putting it on their back, it's very sweet to watch and it's cheap and easy to cleanout. PS, I've heard that hay will create bacteria far too quickly and that straw is much safer.

Oh, and as for cleaning, I poo pick each day and add fresh over about two weeks and then have a full clear-out and start again.

 

[badboyk1n9]

Welp, if I was in your place, I would have butchered her up right away lmao, But for your sake you may use, cotton, or a cotton cloth as her sleeping bed, I guess

 

[bruceha2000]

I've got a 4 year old hen with what appears to be bad hips getting worse. She's been on the floor in the corner of the coop a few nights. I watched her trying to get up to the 2' bar and failing. Why she didn't go to the ramp that starts just a few inches above the floor I don't know.

Today I put a box in the opposite corner and put some straw in it, will see if she chooses to use that. I don't think it best for her to be sleeping in her chosen corner which is under the roost. We all know what chickens do at night!