Tips for rooster with wobbly legs who cannot roost?

[Cochaura]

One of our 14 week old roos has had really wobbly eggs since he was born. He holds his own with the others pretty well, but I feel horrible because he cannot get up to or stay on the roost. He cries and reaches up with his neck and tries to boost himself up, then just gives up and lays down in the corner by himself Any advice? It's getting cold at night here and I feel bad he has no one to cuddle with for warmth. Maybe I'm just too big of a sap and he's fine! It's his desperate cries when everyone's getting their roosting spots that really make me feel horrible.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would give him a small cardboard box or plastic container with shavings in it to huddle in, so that the air around him will be still and he can dig himself a little indentation to huddle in. You can turn it on its side so he can just walk in. You'll have your hens laying eggs in there though if you make it very comfy.

Alternatively, what I have done before is to make a roost by placing a short (as in 24 inches or so) 2 x 4 on two concrete blocks or bricks so that my chickens who couldn't fly could have a low roost.

Too bad you don't have a silkie as that is they way they usually like to sleep- on the floor on shavings in a pile.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Can you build a ramp up to the roost. My cockerel is too heavy to fly up to top roost, I had to add an intermediate one in between the original 2 I built. Now he just steps up each level with a little hop.

 

[Cochaura]

Thanks for the advice - I will try both suggestions! We do have a lower roost and I think if I make the ramp wide enough he could walk up it. I was also thinking about putting a little wider chunk of wood on the lower roost to give him a little more stability.