How Old to Give Them Perches?

[Bezzie]

I've got pullets and cockerels at 10 and 12wks. The breeder I got them from, and all the books and info I've got my hands on, says not to give them perches too soon in case of damaging their soft chest bones.

My new friends are enjoying their outdoor run (advised not to free range them for several more weeks yet) and they're trying to use some low branches of trees in the run for perching during the day.

What's missing from all the info I've managed to get, is the age is is appropriate to give them their perches?

As an aside though, we're having a great laugh with them as they've got two coops to spread out amongst, which they do for their afternoon naps, yet when they go to bed at night, they all cram together in one coop - all 15 of them!

Any advice on the perches please? Ta folks!

[ohareward]

Hi Bezzie, I have just got some pullets as well, but mine are a bit older at sixteen weeks. The hen house already has perches in it. Some times they use it, but most times at night they just huddle together on the floor. I built a ramp up to the perch so they can walk up. I have seen two hens using it. Some just jump straight up on to it. I have just checked in my hen book, but it does not say anything about age. It says that if you are rearing birds for meat only, do not have perches as they will damage the birds' chests.

Robin

[Bezzie]

Aha, now that's a different point altogether isn't it - not giving them perches if they're reared for meat only as it would look unsightly cooking a chook with a deformed chest.

Since this first batch will be my initial brood for laying etc., and I intend to breed from them for meat stock also, then this is useful information to know, and thankfully covered as I've planned a run in a separate area of the garden to home these fated broods.

One of the books I read said to be careful re perching too soon as the perch would deform the soft chest and could make egg laying more difficult later.

I find it marvelous that there's so much information out there to say don't use them until they're old enough without qualifying when 'old enough' is.

Harumph!

Well, guess I can look to provide some comforts shortly, in the next few weeks, since a fair few of them are indicating a liking for a perch. Learning by trial and error on this one.

Anyone else got experience?
Apparently true wisdom is learning from someone else's experience?
I know there are some old hands on this forum ref keeping chooks.

[Thomzo]

I've had my ex-bats since February and they still don't perch at all. I've given up with it now. I just wish they wouldn't all huddle right in front of the door to the hen house as you can't help but step in chickpoo when you go to feed them in the morning.

[Bezzie]

Strange creatures these chicken things aren't they?

Some want to perch and we try to tell them they're too young.
Others don't want to perch and we'd like them to.

If you've got ex-batts, presumably they never had perches and haven't learned what to do with them? I read somewhere that if you go in after dark and lift the onto the perches, they would get the idea after a few nights .... don't know whether that was a book or somewhere else on this forum though.

No wonder the books are no help with this amount of variation.

[Thomzo]

Ah now the question is do I have to lift them onto their perch in the dark or can I put the light on? If the former then they are probably safer left on the floor

Cheers
Zoe

[ohareward]

Mine have started to use the perch. I looked in last night and four of them were on it. The rooster still goes in one of the nesting boxes, so it looks like that is what he will being doing from now on. If the hens are not using the perch the book says that you have to train them. I suggest that you use a torch so that you can see what you are doing, but not wake them up too much. Chooks are creatures of habit. It should not take too long to train them.
If the young ones are in there as well and the perch is about 60 cm up off the floor, then I was wondering if they could not get up there until they were old enough to jump or fly. Just a thought.

Robin

[possum]

I had to teach our old rooster to use the perch, so even if they are ex battery ones they probably still can be taught, All i did was lift him onto the bottom perch for a couple of nights and he got the hang of it. The ladies always sit on the top perch.

[Bezzie]

The rooster still goes in one of the nesting boxes, so it looks like that is what he will being doing from now on

Of the things I've read (gosh, books are great and can misinform and confuse you, its fantastic)

- there was a fair bit about discouraging the chooks from using the nesting box to sleep in, so if your rooster is taking the nesting box, how are the ladies going to get him out of there when they want to lay?

Might want to discourage him from doing this?

Basically it was about them becoming accustomed to using it as a bed instead of laying in it, and also about how they would dirty it up with droppings where they sleep so harming your eggs when laid with bacteria etc.

Maybe that's another thread - why do chooks defaecate and then sit in it straight away? Just an observation

[Thomzo]

If the hens are not using the perch the book says that you have to train them. I suggest that you use a torch so that you can see what you are doing, but not wake them up too much. Chooks are creatures of habit. It should not take too long to train them.

6 hens sitting on a perch - who are you kidding?
Last night it kinda went like this:

Hen 1 is so surprised that she allows herself to be picked up and put on the perch. Then she stands there looking bemused.

Hen 2, equally surprised also sits on the perch looking at Hen 1 with raised eyebrows.

Hen 3 has an idea what is coming. She allows herself to be picked up but curls up her feet so that she can't perch on the perch and falls off with lots of noisy flapping.

Hen 2 jumps off perch

Hen 2 is put back on perch

Hen 4 is picked up and put on perch but does the toe curling bit as well and also falls off

Hen 2 jumps of perch onto Hen 4 and starts a violent pecking and clucking fight.

Hens 5 and 6 hide under the nest boxes and refuse to be picked up.

Round 2 will start tonight at approximately 9pm. Tickets are available now but the best seats have already been booked by the cats who were watching the proceedings last night and were actually laughing

[Bezzie]

Have you got a webcam that we can all tune into? You could tie one to the cat's neck for us all to watch whilst this is all going on.

Bet you'd get tremendous ratings if you posted it on YouTube!

Wish you luck for tonight Ann.

[the.fee.fairy]

Aw, Ann, good luck and thanks for the laugh!!

[ohareward]

Hi Thomzo. I can visualise the performance, especially with six hens. I think because the hens are ex-bats that they are not used to roosting on a perch. I think it is a matter of calling on Percy Verince for help. Best of luck.

Robin

[Millymollymandy]

[Bezzie]

I think it is a matter of calling on Percy Verince for help. Best of luck.

Is there something I'm missing here? Who is Percy Verince or is it a code name for something I'm not enlightened to?[/quote]