At what age do they begin to roost at night?

[BantamoftheOpera]

My birds are two and a half weeks and most of them are roosting on the brooder roosts we set up this week. They use them most frequently for naps.

 

[Lbrad7]

I moved 80 birds to their run about a week ago. First night I only had 4 go to the roost and the rest piled into corners. I have had more every night moving to the roost. Tonight I counted 46 so I hope they will all be up where the belong by this time next week. Don't worry about them...instinct will kick in soon and your worries will be over.

 

[Littletonchicks]

Thought maybe you may enjoy a few pics of my girls on their roost at night. This is where I find them each night when I go down to close them in for the night. I always love to see pics so thought you may also.

This is them at 8 weeks

 

[dparadise]

We have a 2x4 that runs along 3 of the walls in the coop. The roosts run off of these 2 x 4's, they all sleep in a pile in the corner and the one's that won't fit are as close as they can be to the pile. If I remember I'll take a pic of them tonight, it's strange to see all that room and them in a pile.

 

[pontoosuc]

@ littletonchick, love the lights!!!

my chicks are now 8 weeks old and in the chicken house.

about 3 - 4 of them roost, the rest pile onto the wooden wine boxes we've put in there.

maybe someday they will be on their beautiful natural perches that we harvested
solely for their comfort!

 

[Littletonchicks]

pontoosuc-Thanks, i had to make the coop a little "girly".

 

[sreihart]

Littletonchicks, I love the lights too and I really love to see pictures!

I just checked on mine and they are in the corner again all in one big pile. Maybe it's an Orpington and Wyandott thing. I'm trying really hard to get the coop done. My neighbor told me last night that they saw a bear down the road. I'm keeping the pen close to the house in the hope that nothing will come that close.

dparadise, please do take a pic so I can compare notes! I agree, it seems too strange to have all that room and then they are in a pile of about 2 sq ft!

 

[Lbrad7]

A freaking bear?????

I worry my pin feathers off over coons and you have a bear in the neighborhood?!?!!

 

[alaskachick]

I got my chickens at 10 weeks old. They did not roost. I was concerned. They are now 16 weeks and all roosting along with the roo.
They have a roosting ladder with 8 rungs/steps. They all stacked like in a theater. The pecking order is very easy to see as the strongest personalities push their way up to the top level. The often kick off the chickens that are in their spot. I have 6 light brahams, 2 leghorns, two red sexlinks and one Maran rooster. The 2 leghorns are the boss of the girls. It's quite funny and I say.. who needs reality shows when you have chickens!

 

[Ponytrainer]

Oh my goodness! I love the lights too... I would love that not only cause it's super cute, but then I could actually see them at night when I have some panic attack at 2:00am and think they are in distress and have to go check on them. Only to find they are sound asleep and giving me the "stink-eye" for waking them up!

Our 5 girls (Barred Rocks, Wyandotte, Cochin and Buff Orpington) just started roosting to sleep about a week ago, they are 10 weeks old this week. Up until then, they all slept in a pile on floor of the coop, I also thought they were a bit "slow" and would manually put them on their roost. How did I turn in to such a silly woman about some ridiculous chickens?!?