Scaly leg mites

[aart]

I did do this with the ones I could reach easily. Unfortunately some I had to grab and then pin their wings after they flapped in my face for a minute because the height and angle I could get them just wasn't able to pin their wings with my arms fully extended and leaning over the lower rungs. I quite often wish we had a coop camera so I could see how hilarious I look doing chicken stuff sometimes.

But I decided after last night that I'm lowering or removing my top roosting bar. I have a ladder style so they can jump from one to the next... But trying to get them off that top one where they were all bunched up was quite difficult. Also I have 3 new hens in my flock whose wings are clipped and it's actually painful to watch them try to get up there. And then they sometimes get pushed off and don't have much wing to flap to soften their landing, so for their sakes I'll be doing it today.

Yes, being able to easily reach them off the roost is essential.
I designed my roost so I could reach them all,
there are still a few that get down into the corners that are harder to grab.

 

[Pippin quail]

Yes, being able to easily reach them off the roost is essential.
I designed my roost so I could reach them all,
there are still a few that get down into the corners that are harder to grab.

I told my husband my idea for a roost and he just built it without a design or measuring, as I was watching and saying "I think they're too far apart, and that one might be too high and close to the wall, etc" and he just looked at me like "stop talking, you asked me to build this stupid thing and I'm building it." So I just let it be. But now I really see the design flaws and will be adjusting it myself.