/ Register

They sleep in the pine tree!!!+

Discussion in 'Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying' started by Keri78, Sep 28, 2010.

Most Liked Posts
Page 1 of 2
  1. Sep 28, 2010 #1
    Keri78

    Keri78 Chillin' With My Peeps

    849
    3
    141
    Oct 17, 2009
    NJ
    That's right! [​IMG][​IMG]:heThey are insistent that they MUST all sleep in my big pine tree now rather than their nice comfy barn![​IMG] I'm a little concerned about owls getting them but more concerned about once the younger ones start to lay that they will not go to the barn to lay eggs! My older hens we're all raised in the barn and a couple still sleep in the barn at night but all of my new chickens want to roost waaaay up high in my pine tree! I'm also concerned about colder weather coming and storms and if it's safe for them to be nesting in the tree at night...say in a snow storm???[​IMG] Would they get cold and uncomfortable enough eventually and decide to get out of the tree and opt for the warm comfy barn? PLEASE help me out here! [​IMG]
     
  3. Sep 28, 2010 #2
    Keri78

    Keri78 Chillin' With My Peeps

    849
    3
    141
    Oct 17, 2009
    NJ
    OK...I'm now having visions of me climbing up a pine tree in the middle of the night this winter in a snow storm to rescue 20 some dumb chickens that can't figure out where they need to sleep at night!!!![​IMG][​IMG]:lau:lau:oops:
     
  5. Sep 28, 2010 #3
    OregonChickenGal

    OregonChickenGal Chillin' With My Peeps

    984
    0
    109
    Jul 26, 2010
    Central Oregon
    You need to confine them to their run for a few days. No free rangeing. After that, they may get the hint, and start going home to roost.
     
  7. Sep 28, 2010 #4
    gryeyes

    gryeyes Covered in Pet Hair & Feathers

    15,507
    293
    358
    Sep 22, 2009
    My slice of heaven in Somerset, CA
    Did you lock them IN the barn for a week or so before letting them out? That's how I "imprint" This Is Safe Home For NightTime on my chickens.

    I would catch 'em when you can and lock 'em in the barn for a while. Like a few nights.
     
  9. Sep 28, 2010 #5
    itsalladream

    itsalladream Out Of The Brooder

    21
    0
    22
    Sep 19, 2010
    What? No pictures?
     
  11. Sep 28, 2010 #6
    tuesdays chicks

    tuesdays chicks Chillin' With My Peeps

    1,298
    0
    149
    Apr 26, 2010
    stuart florida
    Call them into the barn before sundown and lock em up keep them in for awhile make sure they have good roost in there.
     
  13. Sep 28, 2010 #7
    jojo54

    jojo54 Chillin' With My Peeps

    1,670
    4
    161
    Aug 24, 2009
    BC Canada
    yes, we need to see pics of a treeful of feathered goofballs. [​IMG]

    sorry, I shouldn't laugh but my imagination got away with me.
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2010
  15. Sep 28, 2010 #8
    jacyjones

    jacyjones Chillin' With My Peeps

    866
    0
    139
    Jun 9, 2008
    Aberystwyth, Wales
    We had this problem once and ever since we have clipped wings and always made sure we shut the new chickens in the coop and run for a few days so they know "home".
     
  17. Sep 28, 2010 #9
    wyndski

    wyndski Chillin' With My Peeps

    142
    3
    131
    Dec 12, 2007
    Spring Hill, FL
    I have a pair that just showed up from a neighor that moved, they were young. Shortly after they came he started crowing and then she started laying. I left them free ranging and they sleep in a high tree at night. She lays her eggs in my spare stall and even if I change the horses around she lays in the open stall. I live in fl, so I do not have snow storms thank goodness. I do have thunderstorms and nasty crazy weather and they still prefer the tree at night. It has been 5 years since they came and they still do the same thing. I do worry about preditors, and have kept my other chickens (their son and grandkids) in a coop and pen. I would say make sure you have high perches in the barn and try and lock them in at night for awhile.
















    i
     
    Last edited: Sep 28, 2010
  19. Sep 30, 2010 #10
    Keri78

    Keri78 Chillin' With My Peeps

    849
    3
    141
    Oct 17, 2009
    NJ
    Thanks guys! I was able to wrangle up most of them yesterday but still have a few stranglers that are just being rebels at this point![​IMG] I raised them in the run part of my coop and then recently started letting them out during the day to free range. At night they would return to the run section of the coop. I was then going out and putting them all in the barn at night(barn is attached to the run). It started with just one or two hens deciding to sleep in the tree and then it spread to the whole flock and before I knew it EVERYONE was onto the "Chickie Tree Hotel Idea"!!![​IMG] We had a bad rain storm the other night and I was soo worried about them but there was nothing I could do as the roost waaay up high in the pine tree where I could never get to them! They weathered the storm just fine but like I said colder weather is coming and I would prefer not to have to worry about where their sleeping and soon laying. My plan is to eventually catch them all and lock them up for a week and then maybe just start out slow by letting them out just for an hour or two before bedtime to test out their home instinct. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks a million! Keri
     
Page 1 of 2

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by