New Hen doesn't Perch

[DylansMom]

My new Peach Pied Hen is not roosting on the perch at night, she is sleeping on the ground. Anyone have any suggestions for getting her to go up. She was 14 weeks when I got her and had never had a perch, mine usually are introduced to a perch around 8 weeks and they start using it in 2-3 days. It's been 2 weeks now and she is still on the ground at night, I snuck out and checked this AM. Her eyesight seems just fine and she can fly, so I don't think she has a physical reason for not perching.

 

[iwiw60]

Some chickens, like my 4 spoiled brats, don't readily take to roosting. I would suggest that at dusk you pick her up and put her on the roost. Keep doing this for a few days and she should get the idea. Wishing you well!!

 

[DylansMom]

Some chickens, like my 4 spoiled brats, don't readily take to roosting. I would suggest that at dusk you pick her up and put her on the roost. Keep doing this for a few days and she should get the idea. Wishing you well!!

Thank you, but she isn't a chicken, she is a Peahen, and they usually do take to roosting. They will not survive our winter if they cannot/do not perch. I will probably do exactly as you say, but will wait until full dark to prevent her from flying back down because she can still see, they are not as still/immobile after dark as chickens are.

 

[Arbor]

I have a hen that does not perch either, had for 4 years now. She survives our winters fine. As long as there is some bedding, they will be more than fine. Actually, when it gets too cold here, most of my birds will stay off their perches - better heat retention I guess.

 

[mandyok]

I had the same problem. I don't know if this will work for you, but I used their curious nature against them. I tied a white sack on a windy day by that afternoon they all had to fly up to see what it was. As soon as they all had a chance to go up I took it down. No problem with perching after that. When I tried to teach my babies I used white feathers accomplished the same thing they just removed it for me lol. Hope this helps

 

[DylansMom]

I have a hen that does not perch either, had for 4 years now. She survives our winters fine. As long as there is some bedding, they will be more than fine. Actually, when it gets too cold here, most of my birds will stay off their perches - better heat retention I guess.

Really? That is news to me. I had a juvenile male returned to me, many years ago. His owner had a warrant out for her arrest and was making a run for it( seriously). She was conscientious enough to try to do right by her bird though. Unfortunately while capturing him, she injured his leg. I took him to a vet who said the damage was to the joint, no broken bones and other than giving him a cortisone shot they couldn't help him. He couldn't use the leg and hopped around, roosting on the ground on wood chips for bedding. He was fine for several months until it got really cold and then one morning he was just gone, he had good weight so I just assumed it was the cold that did him in. Guess it was something I wasn't aware of. Thanks for letting me know, I'm still going try putting her up after dark a few nights, but if she doesn't take to it at least I know she won't freeze to death.



Would the fact that our barn has a concrete floor change anything in your opinion?

 

[zazouse]

My new Peach Pied Hen is not roosting on the perch at night, she is sleeping on the ground. Anyone have any suggestions for getting her to go up. She was 14 weeks when I got her and had never had a perch, mine usually are introduced to a perch around 8 weeks and they start using it in 2-3 days. It's been 2 weeks now and she is still on the ground at night, I snuck out and checked this AM. Her eyesight seems just fine and she can fly, so I don't think she has a physical reason for not perching.

she will figure it out, mine take to the trees at all different ages, i have a four month old that still roost on the 3 foot high roost in the brooder pen and a 2 month old that roost in the trees.

was she raised in a cage before you got her? bet she don't even know what a roost is yet.

 

[KsKingBee]

I put roosts in my brooders. At first very low ones, then in the larger brooders higher up.

 

[DylansMom]

she will figure it out, mine take to the trees at all different ages, i have a four month old that still roost on the 3 foot high roost in the brooder pen and a 2 month old that roost in the trees.

was she raised in a cage before you got her? bet she don't even know what a roost is yet.

She was in a cage for awhile and then loose in a shed, but the shed had no roosts in it, so I know she is unfamiliar with them, I just thought she would figure it out quicker. If she got up on the roost she could see the other Peas, and I thought she would want that comfort of at least seeing other birds, but apparently not. Maybe she's afraid of heights.

 

[KsKingBee]

Maybe she's afraid of heights.

We were given a pair of geese and a duck that had never seen a pond before they came here. They were absolutely terrified of the water. We would chase them into it and they would stay right next to the shore to get away and escape the pond. They insisted on staying on our porch and under the yard light all night, I was so glad to see them go to auction.