Learning to Roost?

[pdxblossom]

Three chicks . . . two brahmas and one Australorp. They are approximately 4 weeks old and so much fun! I added a homemade roost to their brooder yesterday. I attempted to put them on the roost just so they'd get the idea. No pressure (I'm not like a pushy "stage" mom). Anyway, they pretty much thought I was a nut and jumped down immediately. Later, when I checked on them, I noticed the Australorp was perched high atop the water bottle! So apparently she liked being high up, but not on the roost. Even later, she was perched up on the feeder. This morning, same thing.

I'm wondering . . . Should I worry about this or will she naturally find her way to the roost eventually? The roost I installed runs the length of the brooder (4 feet by 3 feet for 3 chicks) and slopes in height from 3" to 7" off the ground. It runs from the cool end of the brooder to the warm end and is made of a bamboo pole about 1" in diameter. Is the roost too big for them yet? Do the chicks not like (gently) sloping roost?

One last question . . . this morning they were running around like little maniacs and I noticed that the Australorp (the runt of the bunch) pecked at one of the bigger brahmas. This is the first time I've seen pecking at each other. Normal?

Signed,

One (Apparently) Neurotic Chicken Mama

 

[Kedreeva]

Maybe they don't like the round perch, or maybe they don't like the slope. If the one is perching but on a level, flat surface, maybe a 'board' type perch would work better?

edit: if they're being nasty about pecking (chasing, pecking constantly, not leaving the other alone) that is not normal. If they're pecking just at random or near food or while scratching the ground or the pecker gives the peckee a strange look before doing it, it's pretty normal. My chicks all pecked at each others feet a LOT... they'd cock their heads to one side and take a peck and the one getting pecked would peck that one's head... and then the falcon kicking would start and then they'd see food and get distracted. Featherbrains.

 

[pdxblossom]

I'm going to try a board perch this afternoon. My husband built a board perch but I second guessed it . . . they don't have boards in trees 'ya know. As for the pecking, they were eating food and it seemed fairly harmless. Both seemed surprised by the pecking and then they went back to eating.

Thanks.