Not roosting

[weatherdwings]

I have an EE roo & a salmon favorelle that are 13 wks.. We just got 6 new juvies (all different) that r 6-8wks & a new bigger coop for all. They young ones r all roosting but my 2 older sleep together in nesting box & just look @ the others roosting clueless..lol..is this normal & how do I get them to roost? My daughter put the roo on planter & he just got wabbley & jumped/fell off..?? Those 2 we got as chicks w a sm coop fr tractor supply, it had 2 bars over litter pan but not really up off @ all.. Where we got the juvies fr they didn't have roosts that I saw but those guys do it.. Any ideas? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chicmom]

Close up the nesting boxes entirely, until they are around 17 weeks old, or until you notice that they're ready to lay. A good indication of this would be, when you reach out, and the pullet will squat hard. That is the submissive position a hen takes for a rooster.

Anyhow, if you let the two older ones sleep in the nesting boxes, the will poop there too. And others might decide to sleep there as well. It's kind of a dirty habit. Dirty eggs, ya know.

This is something I learned with time. I cover those boxes with some thin plywood. (I don't even nail it on, it just slides right over the openings.)

So if you close those boxes up, they will eventually roost with the others, or maybe find another place to sleep together, but at least they won't poo in the nests.....

 

[weatherdwings]

Thanks chicmom.. I will def have to cover it! When we went out to close up for the nite they were all in nesting boxes sleepin & yep! That ment lots of poop in there.. Which we def don't want that habit & dirty eggs.so I'll take ur advice & close it up for now... Thank u!!

My s. Faverolle should start laying in a few weeks.. Right? U said ab the submissive position she would take... That would be when she's in a nesting box & I reach for her? Is this something that's obvious or something I have to really look for? Or I'll just see an egg one day? Lol ..I when we got yeti, we were told that they weren't sure what it was. They said it was 'almost' mature... We r leaning towards rooster because of the streamer feathers on head & from everything my daughter has read & compared. Plus it hasn't layed any eggs, & by 'almost' mature it would of right? It hasn't cockle doodled doo either.. I know that silkies have a different sound but he doesn't make much noise...

The silkie was sleepin in the nesting box w EE & SF, silkies don't roost high right?





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk