How to train to roost in tress

[bigspringshatchery]

Long story short I had three and now I'm down to 1. They have been locked up with my turkeys since they were hatched. Now I want to turn them loose to eat ticks and now snakes. But they won't roost at night and something is killing them. All they do is walk around the chicken pen. How can I train to fly up in tress at night an stop sleeping on the ground.

 

[sourland]

If the sleep in the trees, the GHO will probably eat them at night. Sounds like a lose/lose situation.

 

[PeepsCA]

Why the trees? They are still vulnerable to a lot of different predators, even roosting way up high in the trees. Whatever took the first 2 will be back for as many free meals as it can get on your property. I agree, definitely a lose/lose situation there. Why not lock them up in a coop or secure pen each night? That's really the only way to ensure their survival, and also ensure that they will still be around to eat ticks and snakes!

 

[robin416]

99.9% of the time people are struggling to get their Guineas in to the coop for safety and night and you want your birds to roost in trees where night time predators can have a field day picking them off?

The reason they are outside of the coop they were raised in is because its home. And home is where they should roost every night.




Edited by Staff

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
Maybe to you. I had one that lived for about 6-8 years roosting in trees. The only time something happens to my birds os ones that don't roost.

 

[PeepsCA]

If you really prefer your birds to roost in the trees (which you have every right to, since they are YOUR birds and you should not be judged for it), maybe you just need to give them a little more time, and for a while just go out and put them in their coop for the night if you see that they are choosing to sleep on the ground. Then try it again the next night. If they are going to want to roost in the trees, they will eventually learn to fly up there at dusk, but there is the possibility they may never choose this. You could always re-home the ones that do not fit into your routine.

I'm pretty new here, but I've already learned that not everyone posts here to be helpful, so I just take some replies with a grain of salt (and put about that much worth into them as well)

 

[WriterofWords]

I wish I could send a couple of my tree chickens,, they could train yours! When he settles down somewhere pick him up and put him in the tree, but more than likely without the hens up there he won't go.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
Yea I've been locking them up. I dont want my chickens to roost in trees. I go to college full time and also work 2 jobs so it just really hard for me to be able to let them out in the morning and lock them up when I leave the house at like 6 and don't get back to way after dark. I've thought about buying some guineas from someone else that way they won't be to tame and mYbe train my other one.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Quote:
My guinea ain't that tame. Lol. It takes me like 10 hens runnig him around the pen the cath him and let him free range. He don't mind you as long as you don't try to touch him.

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
My guinea ain't that tame. Lol. It takes me like 10 hens runnig him around the pen the cath him and let him free range. He don't mind you as long as you don't try to touch him.

Just a suggestion... and I know some may not agree with this method... but if you blind and/or distract the bird with a flash light (I'm lucky enough to have one with a disorienting strobe setting, and it works excellent!!!) you, or a helper can be sneaky and just reach down and grab the bird with little or no fuss. I usually push mine to the ground until I know I've got a good enough grip on them so I can still hang onto and not rip half of it's feathers out it when it explodes