Point of lays, not so point?

[AllyJane]

Hey guys, about two weeks ago we got two "Point of lays" just the normal red hens...
Anyways, they haven't layer yet but are very protective of their laying box and also the rooster's box as well.They only just started to use these laying boxes. They are very bitchy/aggressive towards humans so what could this mean?

 

[AllyJane]

So i braved the Australian night and went outside to check on the chickens to see if they were using their nesting boxes... And here is what i find...

(Yes its through a little built in peep hole i can put my phone against. )
She seems to be just perched there, not in the box on the grass, just sitting in the opening... the two females won't leave each other alone love it is

? Meanwhile, since I've moved the roosters box next to theirs they have stopped sleeping on top of his box.. and mostly in their own. (We have a silkie male rooster

)

 

[Den in Penn]

Do they have a roost to sleep on?

 

[AllyJane]

What do you mean a roost to sit on?
As in rooster? The rooster has his own box he loves, that wont fit another hen.
Or a nest? Theyhave that too.

 

[Gargoyle]

a roost is a post or bar that they climb up on, lock their feet around it and sleep there at night. It goes back to their ancient origin as tree birds, sleeping on high branches where they were safe.

 

[AllyJane]

Thanks for the pictures, its been a slow morning, it just clicked just before i seen your pictures.>_< Our chicken setup is pretty bad right now. We have a huge covered cage with three nesting boxes on the ground. We have to wait a week to build a second story for the females.(Can't wait for that to happen!) They only sit ontop of their nesting boxes but i should put some wood up when i get home. This morning i checked the nests..No eggs, but then again after an hour after checking them last night it rained like to tomorrow and their nest got a bit wet T_T Idunno,

a roost is a post or bar that they climb up on, lock their feet around it and sleep there at night. It goes back to their ancient origin as tree birds, sleeping on high branches where they were safe.

 

[Gargoyle]

Look in the coop discussion section of these forums, and also click the "coops" button at the top menu and you'll get loads of great ideas on making your chickens home safe, comfortable, and easy to maintain.

It is especially important to keep it really secure so predators can't get in, especially at night.

Oh, and your question about their aggressiveness, chickens are naturally "chicken", they are scared- it is their survival instinct, so it takes a while to win their confidence and get them used to having you near them. I pick mine up and massage their legs every day, and after a while they get used to me.

 

[AllyJane]

Thank you ill go through it when i get home.
In Australia there is alot of snakes, but not one near our chickens!

 

[christineavatar]

Do you have a way to put a pole or long piece of narrow wood (small enough for them to wrap their feet around) that you could "jerry rig" for now so they could sleep off the ground?

 

[AllyJane]

Yes, ill be doing that as soon as i get home!
Ill have to wait until i get addon the next story so i can put their nests up there aswell.