Getting pullets to sleep on the roosting bar?

[Morndew247]

Why does it matter? We don't even have roosting bars in our coop (its a little small), but they all sleep together and don't seem to care. Is it really a problem? We clean out their sleepy area every few days and never gave it another thought!

 

[Morndew247]

I wouldn't even know where to fit a roosting bar in their coop!

 

[Chris King]

In my opinion, it matters because roosting up off the ground is a natural behaviour of chickens, something they do to feel safer when they sleep. One might argue that there's no need when the coop fully encloses them. But mother nature is rather like city hall, and you know what they say about fighting city hall...

Not saying you should add a roost; just answering your question (why does it matter?). Although I must say that, in general, animals are healthiest, happiest, and therefore most productive when they're least stressed, which includes living according to their natural inclinations, or as close as we can get with all other factors in play.

-Chris King-

 

[naadarien]

I was going to say exactly what Chris King said.

Chickies feel safer sleeping when they know they cannot be attacked, and from inside the coop, 99% of their predators will be coming from ground level. They are just wired that way. They huddle together otherwise if that is all they have, but if you installed a roost, I'd bet it would become a popular hangout.

 

[Chris King]

When my chickens were little, I moved them out of their pen in my laundry room into a nursery pen I'd made for them outside (right by the back door, snug up against the house). The pen consisted of a big, wooden box and a bunch of old wood-frame windows, all encased in chicken wire to make it varmint-proof. I called it El Dorado because the box on its side, with its hinged door propped up with two wooden stakes and wood shavings on the "floor," made it look like the saloon in a Wild West town.

Here's a not-very-good picture of it:





Before too long, the chickens started roosting on the roof of the saloon, even though there were fresh shavings in the box and a heat lamp (placed so that it warmed the interior of the box, but not too hot). I hadn't given them anyplace to roost, because I thought they were too young to be roosting yet. They knew better.

One day a little black snake found its way into El Dorado. I didn't realise at first; all I saw was the chickens all huddled together on the highest thing they could find, furthest from the intruder.

Having an elevated place to roost seems to be very important to chickens. I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating: being safe and feeling safe are two separate things.

-Chris King-

 

[44Wolves]

Why does it matter? We don't even have roosting bars in our coop (its a little small), but they all sleep together and don't seem to care. Is it really a problem? We clean out their sleepy area every few days and never gave it another thought!

it doesn't necessarily matter, but they will be best off that way. Chickens were meant to roost. for many people, especially ones with busy lives like me, we don't have the time to clean out the nesting boxes, and once they lay eggs when they are older, we do not want them sleeping in the boxes and laying eggs in piles of poo.

 

[Joan71]

I wouldn't even know where to fit a roosting bar in their coop!

My chicks started getting up on whatever they could as soon as their little wings would lift them up. I started out with a small coop. It came with a roost. I put it just above their heads and they would fly up on it when it came dark (their bed time). As they got larger, the small roost became crowded and the last hen trying to get up on the roost was getting pecked by the others. I kept a close watch on my chicks behavior as they grew and were changing. I read every article on BYC that might pertain to my situation. After 2 nights of the squaking when they went to bed, I realized something wasn't right for my girls, so I opened the coop and realized that they had outgrown their space and I needed to fix the situation very soon. The next day, with the help of my son in law, we enlarged their roost area, added another length to their current roost, waited for evening to come and went to observe their behavior as they settled in for the night on the roost. They went to bed cooing to each other, no squaking, just peace.

I was raised on a farm and we just had chickens and hens running loosing in the barn area. Putting them in an enclosed area in my back yard became a totally different situation. I knew I had to learn everything I could about their environment, what it takes to keep them happy and healthy. My grandson had lots of questions about what we could feed them, what might hurt them. etc. BYC has some great reference articles, keeping them healthy, how to free range in your back yard, enemies (native to your particular area). I hope this may help.

 

[Morndew247]

I still don't know where I could possible fit a roosting bar, but I will be looking into it, that's for sure. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[mrballance]

I really wasn't worried about them roosting. I was worried about them sleeping in nest boxes and breaking eggs. My nightmare was egg eating chickens. Everyone said if that happens then you have to get rid of them. Boy that would be crazy my whole flock

 

[Betsy57]

I really wasn't worried about them roosting. I was worried about them sleeping in nest boxes and breaking eggs. My nightmare was egg eating chickens. Everyone said if that happens then you have to get rid of them. Boy that would be crazy my whole flock

I've had my hens accidently break eggs and eat them in the nests, on the coop floor and in the chicken yard. I haven't gotten rid of my gals. They see an opportunity to eat a good, fresh egg and they take it.