Just call me the chicken whisperer......

[doubleatraining]

LOL well not quite but I got a little frustrated tonight trying to teach my chickens how to roost. I have 2 16 week old RIR bantams, 1 4 week old BO, and 1 4 week old BA. I have only had them 3 days now and while the younger ones are really getting good about me holding them some and feeding out of my hand, my RIRs are pretty standoffish and dramatic. You'd think I was stabbing them with needles every time I touch them. UGH Needless to say they make it difficult to put on the roost at night.

Tonight was ALL different though. I have been watching them some and the RIRs are much more dominant and aggressive towards the younger 2. Since the younger 2 are much better about being handled I picked them up without drama and put them on the roost. They were quite content and immediately settled down and I think one was snoring. The RIR were NOT happy about this at all. They are plenty big enough to get up there by themselves and I was tired of chasing them so I shut the door to the pen and just watched. It didn't take 2 minutes before they had jumped on the roost and were quite proud of themselves. LOL


Now I have a new problem....my little BA thinks its fun for me to put her on the roost and must have jumped off 4-5 times just to run over to me and squeak to be put back on the roost. UGH I'll let you know when I figure how to fix THAT.

Thanks for letting me brag!

 

[BrokenRoadFarm]

Quote:

At least yours let you touch them! Mine are 20 weeks old and still RUN FOR THEIR LIVES when I come into the run! Just waiting for them to start the "squat" they are supposed to do right before they start laying eggs - then I will be able to touch them

 

[HEChicken]

Wow, you're a lot more dedicated than I am. In my coop they just have to figure out how to get on the roost themselves. I figure it doesn't hurt them to sleep on the floor so if they choose not to jump up to the roost, so be it.

 

[chickschool]

Brokenroadfarm,

When you say "squat" are you talking about how when you get near them they kind of flatten out and spread their wings a bit? Mine does that and I have no idea why. She's super tame so I know she's not trying to act all tough.

 

[Prisserbabe]

haha! My chickens wouldnt even go in their coop just their run and they would all squeeze on this wooden stump to sleep. So I would often catch them all and put them in their coop to explore. So just one day they started to go in their by themselves. Now every night once it starts getting dark they go in their coop and roost.

 

[effie]

Mine wanted to roost in the laying boxes-they are 18 weeks old--I have the laying boxes with the wooden rails you can close up-I did that for a week and they figured it out--the rooster was the worst!!!

Now the laying box rails I cna leave down and they go right to their roosting rack. I was talking to the rooster today and ask him when he was going to start crowing---I went to go to town a little later and opened the car door and heard him-he crowed 4 or 5 times--I stood there and laughed out loud--it was a funny little crow-but still indeed a crow!!!!! these darn chickens are starting to lure me in !!!

 

[N&MSchroeder]

Quote:
When a hen squats, she is submitting to the rooster (you). If your hen hasn't laid and egg yet, she will soon. Reach down and pet her a couple of times. She will stand up and shake when you are finished.

 

[gryeyes]

N&MSchroeder :

When a hen squats, she is submitting to the rooster (you). If your hen hasn't laid and egg yet, she will soon. Reach down and pet her a couple of times. She will stand up and shake when you are finished.

I give a skritch to a squatting hen right between her shoulders, then another at the base of her tailfeathers, and a final pat on the middle of her back.

I prefer to believe the "shake" she does when she stands up to be a sort of rearranging herself to get rid of that "bed feathers look." It's actually an instinctive action to move the rooster's sperm up further into her body.

..yah... TMI...... hence my pretending to think it's rearranging her "bed feathers."

 

[N&MSchroeder]

Whatever it is, they are sure happy when they stand up!

Let the good times roll!

 

[chickschool]

NICE...

I don't think I'll be able to look at her the same way again.