New battery hens might not perch!

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New battery hens might not perch!
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kinkycat

Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 62
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 05 12:08 pm Post subject: New battery hens might not perch!

Well this is very exciting, I have been stalking this site for ages, but finally I am here! Anyway, I would be really grateful for advice on a particular hen issue.

I am getting some ex-battery hens in July and I have just read that they will prob not know how to perch and might need to be taught. I imagine this just involves lifting them on to the perch, but as I have no personal experience of perching and very limited experience of hens I am not entirely sure if this is right or possible. Plus, the logistics of the operation worry me. There will be 7 hens and getting myself in the house to assist them in perching could be tricky, if the roof is off I am concerned hey might panic and escape. Any advice before I terrorise my ladies?

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 05 12:13 pm Post subject:

Hi Kinkykat and welcome.

There is no rule that says your new hens have to perch if they don't want to

. The odds are, though, that if you give them long enough they will work it out for themselves.
Seriously, just introduce them to their new house and let them sleep on the floor if they want for now. If they are ex-batts they will be learning quite a few new skills over the coming weeks - just let them do it in their own time.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 05 12:18 pm Post subject:

As long as you're gentle it should be ok. So gently remove the roof and gently talk to them to reassure them and not surprise them. If you leave it until it's getting dark (about 10ish at the moment) they should be calm and it's a matter of gently lifting them onto the perch and lowering them so their feet can hold the perch while you still hold onto them. They will probably flat and fight a bit but over a week or so should get used to it.

Make sure the perch isn't too thin, about an inch think with smoothed off edges is often recommended but can vary with the size of the chicken.

After all that you may still get one that doesn't like the perch as one of our hens has never perched no matter how much encouragement we've given her.

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 05 1:51 pm Post subject: perching

our sussex, rhodey cross hen and cockerell (alice and aesop) never really coped with perching........mr nanny walked them up the perch to bed at night for quite some before they got the hang of it.

alice learned to walk down again but aesop never grasped the down bit. they were in an aviary and the nest box was 4 feet or so up. alice learned to walk down the ladder but aesop used to launch himself off and smack into the wire at the other end most of the time. he never was very bright.

alison
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Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 12918
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 05 8:04 pm Post subject:
Just let them get on with it. Life will be a steep learning curve for them to start with, and they will soon get the hang of it.

kinkycat

Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 62
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 1:12 pm Post subject:

Thanks. I don't actually mind where they sleep as long as they are happy. Perhaps when the hens look relaxed in their new home I will try to gently assist at dusk, but if they don't like it I will leave them alone to find their own beds. I just don't want them to miss out on the joys of the proper chicken lifestyle.

I must remember that the hens are not mine yet. I find myself getting slightly possessive and irritated that somewhere out there my ladies are cramped in cages popping out eggs as if that is all there is to life. Bloody cheek doing that with my chickens!

Thanks again.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 1:17 pm Post subject:
Shocking behaviour, I agree - the sooner they get to their proper home the better What have you got sorted out by way of housing?

Gertie

Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Posts: 1638
Location: Yorkshire

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 2:17 pm Post subject:

Hi kinkycat and welcome to the site

My hubby and I have seven ex-battery hens. They have been with us since the end of March and we were total novices at keeping poultry when we got them, hey, what am I on about, we still are!!!!

It took them a while to get the hang of perching, but once one was able to do it they all started to do it.

I have to say the other week I was locking the hen house and looked in to check on them, all seven were asleep on their perches - wow, it really brought a lump to my throat, I can tell you.

As anyone here will tell you it's a learning curve, every day we are learning something new about hens. Good luck with your new girls when you get them.

Treacodactyl
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 2:35 pm Post subject:
Don't forget to read them a bedtime story when shutting them up.

sean
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Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 2:59 pm Post subject:
Story.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 3:01 pm Post subject:
And your point is, Sean?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 3:03 pm Post subject:
Netiquette suggests that people should own up to editing, even if the post is by their OH. Or I misread it, but I don't think so.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 3:05 pm Post subject:
Bad Bugs. Sorry. A bit I did edit the above post by Treacodactyl because Sean was picking on my man. Promise not to do it again cross my heart and hope to be fed Tesco Value beefburgers.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 3:47 pm Post subject:
I read to them about housing levels, so I was right.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 05 4:21 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I read to them about housing levels, so I was right.

Oh well, fair enough. I can only apologise.
(You big fibber)

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