Sleeping in landing

[hodor]

My chicks are now about 9 weeks old and seem to be doing well. Only issue is their sleeping location they have selected.

It's on a small landing at the entrance to the coop, I've attached an image below. It was OK when they were smaller, the photo is around 3 weeks of age. But now they are so much bigger and they sleep on top of one another rather than going inside where there are various perches and plenty of space.

I'm worried one will get squashed or pushed off and get injured.

I locked them in tonight and barred the door and now they are all squashed up against it.

Any ideas to stop this behavior. Or is it fine and nothing needs doing? It's my first flock so maybe it is all fine

(The bowl is the photo was some treats to lure them up and learn to use the ladder, so it's gone)

 

[theoldchick]

Young peeps just don't have the instinct to roost until they reach a certain age. In a natural setting the hen will teach her brood to roost by roosting. Right now instinct is telling your youngsters to huddle together for safety. Certain breeds such as game fowl get the urge to roost much earlier than other breeds and require no training. Other breeds, however, take a little urging as to what to do at night time. As long as you have adequate ventilation I see no problem at blocking access to the current sleeping area to encourage them to take to the roost. Placing them on the roost after dark might help them get the idea of roosting at night.

Be sure to evaluate your roosts to make sure they are mite-free and comfortable to sit on. I found that young birds (especially the heavy breeds) like a wide flat roost such as a 2 x 4 flat side up. Silkies have a tendency to huddle and may require roosts with easy access as they are not as flighted at other breeds. Not to mention those five toes don't seem to grip a round perch as well as they should. Chickens with poofy headgear can be reluctant to perch as they simply cannot see what is around them.

With time normal healthy chickens figure how to roost at night.

Good luck!

 

[Pork Pie]

I agree with the above post totally!

CT