Roosting: Weird, Stupid, or Normal

[BigBlueHen53]

Country-ghetto! Well I never!

Wait.

Can I use that?

 

[MTKitty]

Country-ghetto! Well I never!

Wait.

Can I use that?

Absolutely!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Absolutely!

Thanks.

 

[629864]

Do you have any roosts in a protected run they may take a shine to? On summer nights ours will sometimes opt for the run roost instead of the coop roosts:

Unfortunately, no. The teenagers (some Easter Eggers and some Brown Leghorns) voluntarily return to their protected run and then to their coop everyday in late afternoon. The guineas have finally started roosting inside that protected run. The "ladies" (my 16 RIRs) adamantly refuse to be caged beyond agreeing to enter the fenced (not covered) run each evening. The run is surrounded by several connecting paddocks which are "manned" by 2 very territorial LGDs, so anything trying to enter the chicken runs has to first get past the dogs. It's obviously not a sure fire security system, but so far nothing has ever gotten our birds within these confines. Some adventurous ladies were taken by coyotes when they ventured too far afield, but no predators have entered either run or coop thus far.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Unfortunately, no. The teenagers (some Easter Eggers and some Brown Leghorns) voluntarily return to their protected run and then to their coop everyday in late afternoon. The guineas have finally started roosting inside that protected run. The "ladies" (my 16 RIRs) adamantly refuse to be caged beyond agreeing to enter the fenced (not covered) run each evening. The run is surrounded by several connecting paddocks which are "manned" by 2 very territorial LGDs, so anything trying to enter the chicken runs has to first get past the dogs. It's obviously not a sure fire security system, but so far nothing has ever gotten our birds within these confines. Some adventurous ladies were taken by coyotes when they ventured too far afield, but no predators have entered either run or coop thus far.

Awesome! What kind of LGDs do you have? Can we get pics?

 

[Nomibird]

Mine turned 26 weeks this past Fri........ They JUST figured out the roost at night about a week ago!!!! Before that they would all do the cuddle puddle in a corner. 2 started to lay and started to use the roost but the others refused. Then another one would join in sometimes. Then the rest joined in besides one (that would use the "baby" roost I put in the spot of the cuddle puddle hoping to encourage them to use it then move to the bigger one... once I moved that out the one that would use it started sleeping in the nest box......) I had to move the 1 from the nest box a couple times. This past weekend she FINALLY went up on her own and has been roosting on her own ever since! So I say it is normal but reading it seemed mine were VERY late learners. LOL

I’m so glad to hear that my babies are “normal”. They are out in the coop and go in at night, but I had to manually put them in the first two days. And at 8 weeks are sleeping in a pile on the floor in a corner but roost during the day. I will give them more time to figure this out. I have Orpingtons and Australorps. They make NO noise. They barely cheep. This is great since I live in the city and there is no ordinance about chickens yet but discussion about having some. I will definitely be putting in two cents if someone doesn’t want them because of noise.