funny chooks

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Nee, Jan 27, 2008.

  1. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    Hi
    New to this but everyone seems very helpful so here goes!
    We've got some chooks that just won't roost! (32- 34 weeks old) We've checked their roosts are wide enough and they are 2 at different heights but they just won't go in their shed much at all. The have a large enclosure for nights but are out during the day when they lay in the garden (fine except when we might be away for overnight and then they don't lay in the boxes, just on the ground!!). Anyway, they just stay huddled on a large paver at the door of the pen and 'roost' there! Even when it poured for days and nights recently they just stayed and got wet! Should we be concerned for them or are they probably fine and I don't need to worry!??

    Also, we bought 2 new chooks yesterday and when we got home we discovered 1 is missing a lot of feathers. She seems to peck at herself a lot. She's quite small (supposed to be 18 weeks, but the other one is much bigger!) We had a look at her this morning and she's got mites so is that why she has been pecking herself?
     
  2. Ojo

    Ojo Junior Member

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    It could be mites or lice. Chicken mites are usually nocturnal; they hide in sheltered areas of the poultry house during the day and feed upon the host at night. Maybe that's why they don't like their coop? Just guessing.
     
  3. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    Thanks Ojo
    Sounds like a good guess! We cleaned out the house and put fresh straw down yesterday and have put some lice powder so perhaps that will do the trick. Prefer not to dust but think a quick solution is in order before my new little hen pecks herself to death! Does anyone have ideas about any plants we could grow that might help in the future?
    Just came up form checking them actually and there they all are, huddled on the paver! :?
     
  4. Ojo

    Ojo Junior Member

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  5. Ojo

    Ojo Junior Member

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  6. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    Hmm, not sure i'll be able to make my own insecticide as i don't smoke... ! Thanks for the links though. I'll get reading!
     
  7. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    Have they EVER spent any time in their pen? If not, it may be too new to them. I would put them in forcibly, and then pen the chookies up for a few days and they will probably find the roosts. They tend to need to discover that it is 'home'.

    They are not the brightest or most sensible of animals. In fact, they can be downright suspicious of anything new. Once they've been in their pen for a few days and figure out what the perches are for, they should go back in there at dusk by themselves. If they need encouragement, rattle some grain in a tin can and call them, and sprinkle it in the pen to encourage them to go inside. I've still got one that hesitates outside, looking suspicious.

    Sue
     
  8. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    Hi Sue
    Funnily enough I have done the keeping them in the pen thing several times. After about 4 days they still roost on the paver just inside the door!! They take themselves there quite happily at dusk each day! I've put food near and on the perches to encourage them- they just eat it during the following day! Last time I tried keeping them in one of them stopped laying all together so I let them all out after a couple of days as I thought she might be stressed. How long do you think it should take to find the roosts?
     
  9. Tas'

    Tas' Junior Member

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    Can you take out the paver?
     
  10. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Hiya Nee Good questions,Here is what i do..


    When introducing existing chooks to a new house or new hens into an established "shed"

    First of all put all new chooks into the "Chook house" and close in for approximatly 3 nights...Making Sure that ample food and water is available..

    At night for the first few nights or untill they are all roosting,,,,,Pick up and gently lower the chook down upon the perches untill they grasp it and lock them selves into a comfy hold..Do all of them at same time(night) and repeat untill they all get the message....You may still get a stubborn one but tho 8)

    Let them out on the forth day and they should go back on there own thinking.
    Once they know where they sleep thats it really.

    If they still refuse to sleep in shed get rid of that slab or put something to block its usable area to next to nothing..

    Chooks are very much like humans, they can be smart,become stuck with bad habits,and hate change but do learn if your patient...

    As for the mite treatment, Id recommend growing some herbs around the pen or house/garden,eg mints,lavenders,fennells,tansey,rosemary,and my favourite "garlic" etc etc along with an ample area for them to "dust bathe" .
    "free" or "open range" chooks,in my opinion dont catch anywhere as many of the bug problems that caged birds do. Although it is no sure fire way either..
    I refuse to use chemicals on my chooks or anything "NO Exceptions"
    and mine are pretty dam healthy :lol: :lol: :lol:

    Also what size are your perches? broom handle size is what i use...

    If not sure what to use...just think of how comfy it would like to be.
    Dont put them up too high either 2 foot is a good start higher if more perches allow a laddering effect to happen..if your going to have babies later on much lower perches can be added for their ease at getting safe..

    Chooks that huddle up together on the floor or slabs will be far more suseptiple to tick,fleas,mites etc then perch chooks....

    WHY.... Because chooks poo at nite and thats the unwanted bugs easiest ways of breeding and transfering each other thru an entire flock if kept unchecked..


    Tezza
     
  11. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    Hello
    Well, on the paver front, if it isn't there, they just stand in the same spot on the ground!! I'll give the locking in and then 'manually placing' roosting a try! We did do it once before but before we could get a second one up the first had jumped off! Maybe I'll try later at night?
    Thanks for the advice on what to grow around the pen, too. We already have some of those plants and we've never had mites or lice in the chooks before. They usually dust bathe in the garden during the day. We got our new chooks from a man who sold us the first lot and they were all good and healthy, but this poor little new one was pecking herself bare! I only dusted her cause I was worried about what would happen as she seemed a bit weak- is there something I could have done to help her quickly without dusting? (The man siad he's give us one for free... Now I'm not suprised! :-x I think he thought she wouldn't make it! But now I really just want to get her good and strong :) )
    My roosts are wider than broom handles and also flat. DO you think that's a problem? I reckon they look pretty comfy!
    Thanks everyone for your help; It is nice to learn the basics form people who have been dong this a while!
     
  12. car2522

    car2522 Junior Member

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    What breed at the paver-chooks?

    Some breeds don't roost but huddle on the ground. Silkies, for example, do this. Or it may be because they were raised by silkies. This may not be such a weird thing as many breeders with non-broody breeds will use silkies as broodies.
     
  13. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Dont get hung up about the perch sizes, as chooks will sit on flat surfaces as you now, just as well if they want...

    Just get em off ground, and allow the overnight poo to be dropped away,
    from contact with the chooks..

    Tezza
     
  14. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    The paver- chooks are RI Reds and Australorps. I went down later at night yesterday (when it started to rain, of course!) and moved them all from the pen door to inside and placed them on the roosts. We blocked off the door to the pen so they had to stay put. Some of them stayed on the perches which was exciting! It was nice to know that they were not out in the rain! We'll see if they can all stay put tonight! Thanks for the advice!
     
  15. Nee

    Nee Junior Member

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    Success! Most of the my chooks seem to be heading for the roosts themselves. A couple are still catching on but I think they'll get the hang. I think it was moving them later at night so they didn't take off again that did the trick. Thanks all for your help.
     

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