Since the girls have been feather pulling, I have been worried that they are bored. I have been giving them things to peck at, digging their run for worms and collecting the wood chip that gets scratched out onto the veg plot and heaping it back in the run for them to scratch through.
We had also been looking out for a second hand pair of steps to give them some new perches but haven’t managed to find anything suitable. While at the garden centre today my husband saw some tree supports and decided to make the girls a ladder. We bought three which didn’t cost very much and was probably cheaper than steps would have been. My husband used two for the supports and cut the other one into three for the rungs. He then screwed it to the beam in the run so that it won’t move.
As always with anything new the girl’s retreated to the top of the coop and refused to go into the garden area. I decided to entice them by sprinkling some dried meal worms under the ladder. This worked but I think it will be some time before they pluck up the courage to perch on the ladder. I will try to get some photos when that happens.
Chicken ladder
The girl’s are enticed under the ladder by some dried meal worms
The anti-peck spray arrived through the post today. I will wait until near bedtime, when the girl’s are easiest to handle, before applying it.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Oh, yea!!! My neighbor called me one day to tell me that someone had put out an old wooden ladder with a free sign on it and she brought it over. I put it out in my run and my little hens LOVE it. The big girls prefer to keep their feet on the ground. But a ladder is a great addition to any run.
Just back from the lumber yard at lunch. I’m going to try adding a diagonal roost to the coop this weekend. The babies have gotten just big enough that the 5 of them JAM themselves onto one roost. Silly hens. I have a second one that one sleeps on. So I thought if I could get in a longer roost that is up higher, it just might solve another issue.
Actually I remembered that and that’s what gave me the idea (I have picked up so much from you!) and have been looking out ever since, but a ladder never cropped up. Hope they do get into the swing of it, I know how they can take their time with anything new, but get there in the end.
I know what you mean about the roosts too. I have two perches on either side of the coop but they have only ever used one side (opposite the nest box). Dotty and Pepper roost on the bottom perch as did Treacle before we lost her and Bluebell always sits on the coop floor next to them. The perch above them is empty (thought they were supposed to prefer higher perches) and two perches opposite empty. It’s been this way for nine months now so can’t see it changing any time soon.
They get into habits and seem to stick with them. Who knows why they choose to do this but they seem happy with their arrangements so I just let them get on with it. At least they are all tucked up together inside each night so I guess they are happy together with their chosen arrangement.
It’s probably a bit different with yours at different ages. Keep me posted with the new arrangements and if they take advantage. It’s always interesting to see how they behave next.