New 19 week old pullets - signs of stress/not using roosts?

[Ted Brown]

I dont understand the big deal about them using a roost?

I am in a cold winter climate and chose a fresh air poultry house; we have 4-5 month winters with temperatures that are frequently in the 20Fs and can get much colder. I will not be heating the coop and the design requires the birds to be in the back where the roosts are to get out of the drafts.

Also want to use deep bedding and clear the coop once or twice a year. This is accomplished by keeping their waste confined as much as possible to the drop boards and cleaning that daily.

 

[Tesumph]

@aart

We have "Purina 6040 Golden Start & Grow Crumble " available, think Oyster shell is special order but also available (what amount should should we add to daily feed?).

The 6040 has 20% Protein and .85% calcium so close if not exact to "Flock Raiser". I will see if Corid is available up here, if not will see if TSC has it and get some next Sweet PDZ run to Ogdensburg NY.

Good enough for you, more than good enough for me.

Once again thanks, you are a godsend!

BTW One of the ladies had made her own way up and onto the roost bar tonight; the other six were in their normal south east (front) corner. No complaints as I moved them, about 10 minutes in and out and I placed them on the back roost bar vs front that had been used for previous two nights.

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Calcium is best offered freely on the side. The birds know how much they need, they’re clever like that.
If you’re dead set on adding it into your feed, or just want to check your feed’s ingredients, laying hens need a calcium: phosphorus ratio of 6:1. This is generally taken care of in layer feeds, but many people like to feed a higher protein than what a layer feed offers. Hence offering eggshells, limestone, oyster shells, etc. on the side.

Corn produces body heat so it is not good to give them anything in hot weather that has corn in it I have been told.

Corn is a “hot” food in the sense that overfeeding can cause overactivity in a bad way, but it doesn’t literally heat them up like a furnace. In fact, feeding oats will produce more body heat than corn, as fiber digestion is literally hotter than starch digestion.

Purina recently released a new chicken feed that is insect based. I think this is a huge step in the right direction for our omnivorous friends—I encourage you to check it out if you’re as concerned about corn being a staple ingredient in chicken feed as I am.
The marketing is maybe a little silly but the research and legwork done on it is well founded.
https://www.purinamills.com/2.purin...ee-Range-Sell-Sheet_FINAL_071019.pdf?ext=.pdf

 

[joydix]

i have never heard of feed stores getting chicks with beaks cut! disturbing (to me). if they are THAT old and been at hatchery, then shipped, beaks cut...they prob NEVER had a place like you provide..it likely won't take a year but it is a big adjustment. it does sound like you are doing all the right things for your girls. they are lucky cluckers for sure! let us know how they are adjusting...

 

[scott6150]

Yep, you sure can do that, well after dark with a very dim light works best....or they might find them on their own.
Can take a few days to adjust to changes...give them time and don't worry as long as they are eating/drinking/pooping/moving around OK.
I doubt they are too stressed, don't stress about it.

The 'year until they lay' thing is just CYA(Cover Your Butt).
So people won't be calling them nonstop asking "why aren't these birds laying!?"
They may lay yet this year or not until after solstice when the days begin to lengthen again. They don't look ready to lay, watch for the combs to redden up.

Beaks don't look to drastically trimmed, they may grow back.
Here in the US it's law to list nutrient percentages on animal feed...not so in CA?

I have never clipped my birds' beaks, or have I heard of it! What's the purpose?

 

[scott6150]

Pictures 1st per @Texas Kiki request. I put 2-3" of fresh pine mulch on the floor and then a bale of straw that we let the ladies spread about. The 1st pic show shows mulch going in and their 2 roost boards (natural wood at the back), the 3rd last pic shows their ramp on left.

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How high off the floor are the roost bars? also, is that the nest boxes in the background of the first pic?

 

[joydix]

for battery birds it eliminates pecking because those birds are crowded and bored. horrible! why a hatchery would ship birds like that i dont know!

 

[Treemanjlp]

M

I received seven 19 week old ready to lay pullets a week ago Friday. Their coop was not ready so i kept them in a temporary non secured cage until last night when they were moved to their new secure coop. I wrapped the temporary cage with tarps each night to help deter predators, I also worried every night until they were moved.

A couple of questions:

1. A person at the store that supplied the pullets maintains that they would be stressed and would take some time to adjust, longer if they were subjected to multiple changes. She said it could be "up to a year" before they would lay.

We are complete novices so have no experience to guide. @jthornton suggested giving them things to keep them occupied; we have done so: treats (fern leaves, fruits, etc.) multiple times per day; a roost bar with ramp on day two; a dust bath (gravel and ash) a couple of days later. We also feed them morning and night and use the opportunity to touch them, talk to them... After a few days they would come to the end of the cage we approached and wait expectantly for whatever we had to offer. After we moved them to the new coop their behaviors did not seem to change, no sign of apprehension/fear, anxious to see what we have brought them, crowding to the opening at the front when we approach, soft cooing (?), occasional clucks.

We think they are fine and adapting well but do not know what the signs of a stressing bird are.

2. They are not using the roosts I have provided rather stay on the floor and either scratch and fling bits about or settle down into the straw looking like they are nesting or at night cluster together in one front corner.

Normal? How do we train them to use the roost (go in after dark and lift/place them on the roost bars)?

Thoughts and input greatly appreciated.

y chickens didn’t use the roost until they got scared, I think everything sounds normal.

 

[maggiehons7]

they will use the roost in time right now their not use to their surroundings so when I move my chickens to the coop I kept them in it for a whole day, I find that helps with them realizing that's their home, they played on the floor but eventually they move to the roosting bars

 

[CatMom2]

I agree with those that say it sounds normal. Our new pullets always begin on the lower level below the roosts but within days some of the braver ones are on the roosts. They always eventually get there. As far as eggs, they will begin laying as they reach maturity even if they have a bit of stress. We put our pullets in with the adults at night and they were checked out and pecked a bit but they run off and soon they know their place in the pecking order. We even adopted a sole survivor last week from a neighbor who lost the rest of his flock to a bear. We put her in after the girls went to roost. She and a couple of the ladies had some squabbles the first couple of days but she’s now been accepted and fine. Just don’t worry! It will all be fine in a few days.

We have a coop that we lock them in at night & in the mornings we open it into a large fenced area until noonish (so they lay in the nesting boxes & not on the property) then we release them to forage on the property. We don’t really have backyard chickens, but they are my pets and pampered with love and treats. They know their names and all have different personalities. I love my girls!

 

[wopwopdebra]

Pictures 1st per @Texas Kiki request. I put 2-3" of fresh pine mulch on the floor and then a bale of straw that we let the ladies spread about. The 1st pic show shows mulch going in and their 2 roost boards (natural wood at the back), the 3rd last pic shows their ramp on left.

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Hello Ted,

My birds love to eat cherry and roma tomatoes plus strawberries. They will adjust slowly, within the month you should start to see eggs.