Putting in a perch/roost for the littlies?

[Nonny]

The girls are about a week old now, have nice little wing feather coming in, and I wondered whether now was a good time to introduce a low perch in there for them to use to jump off, or fly onto as a bit of exercise/fun.

I have an offcut here that looked like it would be perfect, but when I put it in they totally ignored it. Is it too soon? The wrong size?

 

[loupan]

Give them time o just put on two for my 3week olds and they love it

 

[turbodog]

They'll start sitting up on it eventually, don't worry.

 

[whoaitsmike]

I kept my babies under 24 hour watch the first two weeks, then i moved them to the coop. I just stuck stick and bricks in the coop, they were about 3 or 4 weeks when I started noticing poop then started seeing them on it.

 

[jmtcmkb]

I think they will find it soon enough- mine learned to hop up on their ecoglow brooder after the first week. It was a learning effort, once one mastered it the others followed the lead.

 

[jmtcmkb]

your light colored one is already on top of the feeder, soon enough she'll find the roost

 

[azygous]

Chicks are natural climbers. They'll be all over it in no time. That's a very cool perch, by the way. But maybe you want to start them off with something like a 4X4 block of wood - a wider base provides better stability and will foster confidence. I'd provide the block of wood in addition to the stick perch you have.

 

[Fierlin1182]

We put one in the first chicks' brooder, but they weren't interested. Instead they used to fly onto the heat lamp and try squeeze out of the hole in the brooder roof.

I'd put one in, but chances are they won't bother using it. Ours slept on the ground for a good couple of months before they started figuring out how to roost.

 

[nurse_turtle]

I used a 2x4, skinny side up and they loved it. When they fall asleep, their little heads hang low.

 

[SteveBaz]

That is the most adorable picture I spit my coke all over my monitor laughing. It first fizzled up in my nose and off it went!!!!