Roost Design

[Hokum Coco]

I have two hens that just started doing the same thing (they are going on 4 years old now).You could stuff a feed bag filled with grass to take up her space at night in the nest box and remove it in the morning (what a pain). Hoping you can break them of it. Or do like I do. I line my nest boxes with folded feed bags and shake them out in the morning (no problem when the poop is frozen) not so good when it is not! And I am happy the rest of the girls have not started the same thing.

It is not much of a solution

Hope it helps
Hokum Coco

 

[Hillschicks]

Ours have always liked to roost even tho the nest boxes are oversized and filled with hay... But we also give them a roost from the day they arrive even if its just a nearby stick... Make it all they know and it seems to do the trick... Doesnt help you now, but in the future with new chicks it might

 

[Ridgerunner]

What am I doing wrong??  I've tried natural branches, wooden closet poles and have now lowered the roost and they always sit in nesting boxes and poop all night.  Any suggestions from you more experienced chicken keepers???  Thanks from a newbie!!!!

There are different things that can cause that. A big one is that chickens tend to roost as high as they can. It's an instincive thing called self-preservation. Your roosts need to be higher than anything you don't want them roosting on or spending the night in.

Sometimes chicks that are transitioning from sleeping on the floor to the roosts spend some time in the nest boxes. Depending in age, this could be a day or two or it could be weeks. Chickens are creatures of habit. Sometimes they get stuck in the habit of sleeping there and don't complete the move to the roosts. Once they are old enough to spend the night in the open on the roosts instead of huddled protectively in a warm group, you can put them on the roosts after dark. I've seen a broody take her chicks to the roosts at two weeks in the summer but in colder weather 4 to 5 weeks would be more appropriate. Most of my brooder raised chicks don't start roosting without a broody to teach them until they are 10 to 12 weeks old, but I've had some go to the roosts at 5 weeks. I've seen reports on this forum where some chicks take a lot longer.

Something that happens a lot. When I'm integrating chicks or a broody weans hers and quits protecting them on ther roosts, another hen may get so brutal toward them on the roosts that they leave the roosts and find somewhere safer to sleep. I put a separate roost lower than the main roosts and off to the side and higher than the nest boxes to give them a place to go.

Adult full-sized regular chickens have no trouble jumping/flying up to 5 foot high roosts or even higher as long as they have room to spread their wings. I've seen two week old chicks perform amazing flying tricks. It's possible if you have Silkies that can't fly or something unique they may not be able to get to the roosts, but that is really rare.

I don't know enough about your unique circumstances to tell you what is wrong with yours. You may need patience or you may need to change somthing.

Here's what I did for my roosts. It seldom gets colder than a few degrees below zero Fahrenheit so don't have to worry about their toes in cold weather. If it got to 20 or 30 below zero I might have to worry.

 

[JanetS]

My chickens roost on the 4" side of a 2 x 4. They love this.

 

[Ridgerunner]

And mine love roosting on the limbs. I even put boards up there to see what they prefer. Mine preferred the limbs, but that is what they are used to. I'm sure others have had the opposite results.

I really don't think there is a right or wrong, just what we do as individuals.

 

[Hillschicks]

Before i built our roost rack we also used a large branch which they didnt seem to mind... Ive decided im going to replace the middle 4" roost with something smaller and round... All 10 of our chickens like to be on the top roost... If some come down a rung just because of the style of roost perhaps i will change it up top and leave a 4" down lower, its basically a step anyway... And its not just silkies n such that have a hard time getting up 5 feet... Some large breeds like brahma and giants have been known to have trouble making huge jumps

 

[Groo]

I have been reading the two sides of the roost discussion - 2X4 with rounded edges or round closet pole type design. I can't figure out which is best. I currently have a 2X4 with rounded edges about 24" off the floor with a poop board below. I have the same thing at a 1 foot height, stepped out from the higher one.

My 9 banties (4 months old) sleep in a pile on the floor behind the tin can holding their food. Is it because they don't like the roosts? What have I done wrong? Here's a photo of the arrangement (just before I moved in my bants). Would love a definitive answer

 

[dennymeyrand]

I used 2x3's with the angle of the roost ripped off one edge so they would sit flat. It also will swing up out of the way when it's time to clean out the coop. The chicks dig it.

 

[Groo]

They sure seem happy on your roosts. Cool Design!

 

[dennymeyrand]

I used 2x3's with the angle of the roost ripped off one edge so they would sit flat. It also will swing up out of the way when it's time to clean out the coop. The chicks dig it.

They were picking their spots from the moment I put them in there Saturday. I don't think that Buff Rooster has moved since I put him in there!