Climbers

[Cliodhna]

So my previous chickens were ex-batts and very happy to be scratching around on the floor, they might sit on top of the coop from time to time, but generally they were on the ground...

And the welsummers and Martha (the big fat hybrid) were very much the same... until I mixed the babies into the group, now they all climb EVERYTHING.

I've just had to go and rescue one out of the tree because she had got up there and couldnt get down.

Its not a problem as such (unless one of them has a fall) I'm just very curious. I appreciate that they are birds, they just had no interst in climbing before the youngsters joined.

They have all got clipped wings to prevent them flying into next door's garden, its like a garden full of children climbing everything lol.

 

[KittyKat]

My chickens climb everything as well: it keeps them entertained. They generally learn to stop climbing the 6.5 ft fence after the first time they see one of their companions fall over onto the other side and not being able to get back. We had this once with our Norfolk Grey who got blown over by a gust of wind (that's when the hybrids and the Norfolk Greys learnt not to climb it) and the next time was when one of the bantam Wyandottes accidentally jumped off on the wrong side (which is when all the newbies figured it out).

I hear that jumping onto hard surfaces can hurt their feet, but my lot usually aim for the lawn when they jump off things.