Moving the poopers

[rarebreedeggs4u]

Yes, I meant poopers, not peepers

My free range birds have always roosted in the rafters of my 3 sided shed behind the house. That's also where I built pens for my rare breed birds in the fall. Now, even after attempting to roust their roosting bottoms in warmer weather by closing off open side of the barn and hand moving them to the rafters in the attached shed every night, no go. I tried chicken wire above the new pens. The guineas and turkeys have torn it down by flying into it...crazy birds.

*If* I put a chain link dog kennel in the attached barn, close off the current barn and lure them in the chain link area and SHUT THEM IN for several days, should that teach the little poopers where the new place to roost is or will they go back to their old habits as soon as they are turned loose?

I love my birds free ranging, but I hate the poop all over my nice new pens and the 4 wheelers and the nest boxes and feed storage freezers and shavings bags and EVERYWHERE! I can't just close off the current barn. It's bitterly cold here and the goofy birds just huddle up against the door (tried it already in warmer weather).

Do you all think that I have a chance of success by physically MAKING them roost for several days in the other barn? It's not like I'm not already feeding them. With this cold weather they have free choice feed out all of the time and fresh water. Their systems are used to a mostly grain diet right now, so it's shouldn't be too much of a shock nutritionally..

 

[gsim]

I do not free-range, but if it is not too much work, try it. My guess is that they will go back to it. I would exclude them by whatever means necessary. Could be that rafters are higher in barn than in shed and if so, they will always go for the highest place to roost. Alternative is to build a poop-plank to catch it all. Eventually the flies and odor will be as bad as the original problem tho, unless you scrape and remove it daily.

I know of a guy who has chooks that roost over 20 ft up in a mulberry tree he has. It is 30 ft tall and they sometimes escape the run by jumping out of the upper branches and flying over the fence.

 

[teach1rusl]

Well I think it could work. Besides closing them up in there, make the new area VERY appealing. Place various roosts (try variety...2x4s, large branches, etc.), give treats in there, etc. PLUS block access again to area you're wanting them to stay out of....maybe post a large photo of a hawk in front of it...lol.