i have a flock of 7 BRs and LBs. they are 5.5 weeks old. we started leaving them in their coop/run overnight as of about a week ago. as dark would fall, there was some serious afraid of the dark peeping, which is understandable since the coop is essentially open air and they hadn't really experienced the dark yet. so we put a cardboard box in there to simulate more of a brooder like environment, and it had been working well. about 30 minutes before nightfall they were marching right in there.
last night though, we went out there after dark to take away the box as i wasn't loving how much poop they were laying in. we hauled them out and after a minute or two of figuring out what had happened they settled down in a big pile and went to bed.
tonight we got in hours after dark and as we walked up to the coop i got freaked out for a minute because they weren't in the pile spot. we squinted around and oh my gosh, there they were, roosting like big girls. i have a roost up at about 3.5 feet, which is rather higher than they can flap at this point, and i don't really want my big LB ladies to ever have to flap up that high. wouldn't want to strain a wing or something. so, i had taken an old pool slide ladder and hacksawed it down to the right size and had it leaning up against the roost. during the day they mostly ignore this with very occasionally an intrepid soul hopping up, rung by rung, to check things out at elevation. she stays a little while and then does this slide down the ladder maneuver that really never works out as planned.
so frankly, given their interest at this point, i was shocked and oh so proud to see them up there tonight. curious to see if they keep it up.
i've decided to attribute it to introducing them to roosting as of a couple days old. in their brooder they had a variety of different surfaces they could get up off the ground on and the BRs made great use of the high ones as of 2 weeks old with the LBs cuddling in on the lower bench.
anyway, took in a great football game tonight and came home to some advanced little ladies so i'm pleased as punch over here.
last night though, we went out there after dark to take away the box as i wasn't loving how much poop they were laying in. we hauled them out and after a minute or two of figuring out what had happened they settled down in a big pile and went to bed.
tonight we got in hours after dark and as we walked up to the coop i got freaked out for a minute because they weren't in the pile spot. we squinted around and oh my gosh, there they were, roosting like big girls. i have a roost up at about 3.5 feet, which is rather higher than they can flap at this point, and i don't really want my big LB ladies to ever have to flap up that high. wouldn't want to strain a wing or something. so, i had taken an old pool slide ladder and hacksawed it down to the right size and had it leaning up against the roost. during the day they mostly ignore this with very occasionally an intrepid soul hopping up, rung by rung, to check things out at elevation. she stays a little while and then does this slide down the ladder maneuver that really never works out as planned.
so frankly, given their interest at this point, i was shocked and oh so proud to see them up there tonight. curious to see if they keep it up.
i've decided to attribute it to introducing them to roosting as of a couple days old. in their brooder they had a variety of different surfaces they could get up off the ground on and the BRs made great use of the high ones as of 2 weeks old with the LBs cuddling in on the lower bench.
anyway, took in a great football game tonight and came home to some advanced little ladies so i'm pleased as punch over here.
