Texas

[harley1975]

It is probably cause they are wanting to stay warmer then they would on the roost for now

 

[Starfire669]

It is probably cause they are wanting to stay warmer then they would on the roost for now

How warm do chickens like to be? The nights are not cold, i run my AC at night.

 

[harley1975]

Hard to believe the turkeys in these 2 pics are the same birds!! They are 7 weeks old

 

[Cowpoke]

The younger chicks in our group this year would rather sleep with the ducks, or on top of or in the nesting boxes than on the roost. They are about 3 months old. There is PLENTY of room on the roost and yet they won't stay. I've tried waiting until its really dark in hopes that they won't want to move back to where they were...it hasn't worked yet. I'm hoping that they will eventually want to hang with the big kids.

They love playing on the roost during the day. I do have one hen that is somewhat of a bully and will run them off but if I wait and go out there late enough, she's already settled in.

To both SlipsWife and Starfire669, I've always had a not very high roost pole in my brooder for the baby chicks to get used to and they always have. Then when I put em in the coop, they take readily to the coop roost poles. I've had chickens, ducks and geese and have raised the ducks and geese together, bu not my chickens. You may want to let the chickens be chickens and the waterfowl to be waterfowl, by separating them.

 

[Cowpoke]

[COLOR=purple[B]Hard to believe the turkeys in these 2 pics are the same birds!! They are 7 weeks old
[/B]
][/COLOR]

How right you are, Harley! but I have never raised turkeys.

 

[orumpoultry]

Does anyone know how to turn pop up blocker on in Chrome? I'm about to throw my new computer.

Found out where all the 'disappearing' chicks are going... into my 'trusted' cat Gator's belly. Apparently the pre-teens found out they can squeeze between the door and the wall. That's all fixed now. Gator was happily munching down on my six week old Buff Orpington earlier

Seriously. Death on sticks out here. .

 

[SlipsWife]

To both SlipsWife and Starfire669, I've always had a not very high roost pole in my brooder for the baby chicks to get used to and they always have. Then when I put em in the coop, they take readily to the coop roost poles. I've had chickens, ducks and geese and have raised the ducks and geese together, bu not my chickens. You may want to let the chickens be chickens and the waterfowl to be waterfowl, by separating them.

Mine started out sleeping with the ducks but have moved on to their own group, just not on their roost. I really think that our bully hen has run them off so much they've decided its just easier to not roost. I think Harley is onto something too that they are warmer together.

I feel bad that our ducks are stuck with our chickens right now, plus its more work to keep things clean. Chickens have NOTHING on duck messes! The ducks are making holes in the ground in the run. As soon as the last few chicks in the grow out pen go to new homes, or get big enough to move in with the big guys (the larger run isn't 'chick' proof) they ducks will get their own digs. I'm also trying to sell 2 of the ducks but so far, no one seems interested. I'm probably asking to much, $15/each or both for $25. They are huge though and over 7 weeks old.

 

[Starfire669]

To both SlipsWife and Starfire669, I've always had a not very high roost pole in my brooder for the baby chicks to get used to and they always have. Then when I put em in the coop, they take readily to the coop roost poles. I've had chickens, ducks and geese and have raised the ducks and geese together, bu not my chickens. You may want to let the chickens be chickens and the waterfowl to be waterfowl, by separating them.

I do plan on moving the geese to their own pen. I made the mistake of buying the chicks before I had lodgings for them. So we scrambled and built their pen in a week, after the brooding period they all moved in and plans were being made to make a goose pen next. I delayed because of how upset the goslings and the chickens got whenever i separated them (I am a big softie), and because I wanted to try making the geese as chicken tolerant as possible. When they free range there are pools available for the geese and didn't want to find drowned chickens in them.

Now, my 86 year old neighbor's house just burned down this Easter Sunday, so my plans to start the goose pen have to be moved back, again. He is staying at my place while we try to contact his son, and help him in any way we can. Everything he owned, including his money is gone, and he only got out thanks to my brother in law wrestling him out when he tried to run back in to save his momma cat and her 3 kittens. (the kittens are alive, have been checked by a vet, and are in my sisters care because she works at the vet monitoring them). We have yet to find/catch the momma cat and my neighbor is very attached to her. It has been a stressful, crazy, heartbreaking few days.

 

[Cowpoke]

I do plan on moving the geese to their own pen. I made the mistake of buying the chicks before I had lodgings for them. So we scrambled and built their pen in a week, after the brooding period they all moved in and plans were being made to make a goose pen next. I delayed because of how upset the goslings and the chickens got whenever i separated them (I am a big softie), and because I wanted to try making the geese as chicken tolerant as possible. When they free range there are pools available for the geese and didn't want to find drowned chickens in them.

Now, my 86 year old neighbor's house just burned down this Easter Sunday, so my plans to start the goose pen have to be moved back, again. He is staying at my place while we try to contact his son, and help him in any way we can. Everything he owned, including his money is gone, and he only got out thanks to my brother in law wrestling him out when he tried to run back in to save his momma cat and her 3 kittens. (the kittens are alive, have been checked by a vet, and are in my sisters care because she works at the vet monitoring them). We have yet to find/catch the momma cat and my neighbor is very attached to her. It has been a stressful, crazy, heartbreaking few days.

I see. I'm so sorry to hear about you neighbors house and can appreciate you hospitality!

 

[henless]

I have no older birds, to bully my chicks. The 8 week olds are the oldest in my flock, and I judging by their behavior they really do think they are part goose! I will keep trying, they do nap in their nest boxes and get up on top of things during the day. But no interest what so ever in their roosts, and i know they can get up there.

My babies won't roost up on the roost at night yet either. They do get up there during the day, but when sundown comes, they huddle up in the corner under the coop brooder. I have my nests blocked off to keep them from nesting there. I assume when they get big enough they will start roosting up there on their own?

Found out where all the 'disappearing' chicks are going... into my 'trusted' cat Gator's belly. Apparently the pre-teens found out they can squeeze between the door and the wall. That's all fixed now. Gator was happily munching down on my six week old Buff Orpington earlier

Seriously. Death on sticks out here. .

Sorry about your babies.


@Harley ~ Your turkeys are getting huge!
I don't know what to tell you about your chick. Just keep an eye on her and keep her separated.