Perch width, what’s the science?

[centrarchid]

What is SLM?

 

[aart]

Shake them up and move the roost around to determine if they follow roosts or resort to location-location in determining where to roost.

This would be important to any viable 'experiment'. Agrees that location is probably more of a factor than roost shape.

I have French Marans

Aren't they supposed to have feathered legs and feet?

What is SLM?

Scaly Leg Mite.

 

[Shadrach]

This would be important to any viable 'experiment'. Agrees that location is probably more of a factor than roost shape.


Aren't they supposed to have feathered legs and feet?

Scaly Leg Mite.

I believe they are, that's what the breed information says.
Out of the original five Maran hens, only one had feathers and that was just a couple.
Is it the actual feathers that might make them predisposed to SLM or a genetic characteristic of that breed?

 

[lazy gardener]

Scaly Leg mites. My understanding is that the feather footed breeds are more susceptible. I'm guessing that it's b/c the feather shafts make it easier for the mites to burrow in.

 

[Shadrach]

I've been in the woods looking for perch branches. I want some reasonably straight pieces over a metre in length. I've seen a few Holme Oak branches that might do and if it gets cool enough this week I'm going to cut them down and get the bark off.
I'm not going to do any testing; True Patriot has started a thread on testing here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-perch-experiment.74272/

If for some reason the hens refuse to use them then I'll post in the thread above.
It's not very scientific but I can't see a sensibly sized branch being any worse than stock square timber.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

When chickens walk, they don’t bend their toes much.

They do - look at the feet when they lift them, they curl the toes so as not to bump into the ground or the other leg with them.

That being said, your points are very good.

I keep reading the argument "narrow roosts will cause the breast bone to bend". If one has time, one could do an experiment:

- Let 10 chickens sleep on a 2" board from hatching to age 2.
- Let 10 chickens sleep on a branch less than an inch wide from hatching to age 2.
- Slaughter them all and see if their breast bones look different from one another.

 

[Shadrach]

Fair point, but compared to griping a perch........

 

[centrarchid]

Look at feet running.

 

[Shadrach]

Pffftt. Come on guys, give a bit of room for artistic license.

 

[aart]

Pffftt. Come on guys, give a bit of room for artistic license.

Not in a thread with 'scientific' in the title