When will the girls start to use the roost?

[mtstringer]

Hi all,
I have 8 hen that are 8 weeks old and at night they all pile up in a corner of the coop. I have a low roost in the opposit corner but they do not roost on it at night. Should I do anything or just let then be.

 

[Judy]

They might be more interested if the roost were higher, but it's not a problem unless they start sleeping in nest boxes.

 

[stubbornhill]

We have some 6 week old chicks. Last weekend we put a roosting board in their house only about 5-6 inches off the floor. We picked up a few and put them on it just to see what they would do. One stayed for a while, but the others hopped right down. It took a couple of days, but for the past few nights we have had 4 of the 10 sleeping on it. The others just pile up under the heat lamp. Roosting is a natural thing that chickens do. I am sure that yours will catch on soon.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It can vary a lot. I had a batch of White Leghorns that were every one of them using the roosts by six weeks. Following them came a batch of ISA Browns that even at almost twelve weeks half of them were still piling up in a corner. I think something must have spooked the laggards one night though as they all suddenly took to roosting at the same time. This is with keeping a "practice roost" in their brooder for them to play on.

 

[Life is Good!]

Our Black Javas and White Java chicks (same hatch) were 5wks 3 days when they started using the roost. My 12yo son kept putting them up on it - and a few of the larger ones figured it out right away! The day he started placing them up, that night two were sleeping on the roost.

My smallest hen (others are a pound or over, this one is a mere 12oz!) figured it out and got up there to get away from the pecking order problems! She's happier than ever, because on the floor, she's the bottom of the heap and constantly picked on to move out of someone's way (11 chicks).

So cute to check on 'em at nightfall and see a whole line of fuzzy butts! Heads tucked under wings...awwww. Momma love!

 

[Ridgerunner]

My brooder raised chicks usually start to roost around 10 to 12 weeks of age. Broody raised chicks usually start a lot earlier. As you can see by the responses, there is no set schedule. They will roost when they are ready.

 

[debducttape]

Forgive my ignorance, but why is it a problem if they sleep in the nest? Sounds cozy to me?

 

[centrarchid]

Somehow, age when chicks start roosting a function of temperature. Increasing temperature speeds up process. Other factors also involved but still beyond me.

 

[Sheepy]

When I first let my chickens out into their coop, I let them sleep where they wanted. But after a while, I set them on their roost for just a second, and let them see what it was like, than they learned that they liked to roost up there, so they did from then on!

 

[Fred's Hens]

A.T. Hagan :

It can vary a lot. I had a batch of White Leghorns that were every one of them using the roosts by six weeks. Following them came a batch of ISA Browns that even at almost twelve weeks half of them were still piling up in a corner. I think something must have spooked the laggards one night though as they all suddenly took to roosting at the same time. This is with keeping a "practice roost" in their brooder for them to play on.

I agree. The ISAs were very slow at using the roost. They must have been nearly 14 weeks before they were done with the "sleep in a pile". I have a dozen BR and RIR that are 8 weeks old and they are on the roost. It is a landscape timber, about 24" off the ground. They began by playing and trying it out during the day, in their grow out pen. Now, 100% sleeping on it.​