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PinkToothbrush

Hens huddled on floor

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Not as scary as the title perhaps suggests - my hens seem perfectly happy, but they insist on sitting plonked on the floor of their run every so often. Is this ok for them when the ground's so cold? Would they be happier if we put something low in there for them to perch on, as they have in the coop? They're on grass with a bit of Hemcore raked over.

 

Thanks in advance.

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The perching bars in my hen house are very low, so I fixed an extra one in a bit higher up...... Ive also put some in the coop.......... but they just dont seem interested. They spend a lot of time sitting on the top of the hen house, so they can get themselves off the ground and seem to like being higher up. So whats wrong with their perches? What height should they be? Are they best in the middle of the coop? Or at angles across the corner? Or should I just accept that some hens dont like perching? :?::?: I've only had them about 3 weeks so excuse the daft questions. (They also sleep huddled up in the nest box instead of perching, but Ive read all the threads about that so I know thats not a problem.)

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How old are your chooks? If your hens are still young they may not want to perch as it can distort the breastbone, although I don't know up to what age this applies.

 

Mine sometimes perch during the day but all of them (one is nearly 2 years old) still sleep on the floor of their house or in the nestboxes rather than perch, but as long as they're happy and comfortable and have the choice then I'm not going to worry.

 

It's strange though because when they are out at dusk, just before bedtime, some of them look like they are trying to find somewhere high to sleep. Sylvie, my silver nick, always eyes up my shoulder as a suitable place to go to bed.

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