I think my chickens are confused...

[Biddieacres]

Are the keels the longest thinnest part of the leg? I never knew they leaned back like that. I have a 2x4 short side up.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Hmm... I wonder if maybe I added a bit of shelving the width of their keels to the tops of my roosts they'd abandon sleeping in the nestboxes.......They've always slept on their roosts, but it's an idea!

 

[silkiechicken]

The keel is their breast bone. If you set a chicken on your arm and it relaxes, you can feel the grasp of the feet disapear and the keel resting on your arm.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

We are making progress! I just went out to move them over again without a light this time. I came in to find only TWO chickens in the nestboxes, a bunch on the roosts, and some in the windows. I stumbled around getting the two chickens onto the roosts, and left without any of them hopping off while I left the coop.

Hopefully tomorrow night I don't have to do this at all!

 

[cmom]

I have my roosts higher than my nest boxes. I used 2 x 4's with the 4 inch side up. Some of my girls started sleeping in the next boxes. I started puting a milk crate in the boxes at night so they couldn't sleep in them and taking them out in the mornings. After a couple of weeks they stopped sleeping in the nest boxes and started sleeping on their roost. I had one that was a little more persistant and I would put her out. After doing it a few times she finally got the message too.

 

[Biddieacres]

Quote:
Oh thats so cool! Gonna try that tomorrow. Thanks!