16 week olds not roosting

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have a flock of Columbian Plymouth rocks that are about 16-17 weeks old. They have a large run attached to a 6'x8'x8' tall coop, with nest boxes, roosting poles, etc. There are several roosting sticks out in the runs and they use those throughout the day

2 older CR girls roost on a stick out in the run every night. The rest of them just pile up in the floor at the coop door. NOBODY goes up on the roost.

If I put an older hen in with them that roosts every night, do you think she will "teach" them to roost? They just look mighty uncomfortable all piled up on the floor in this heat

Thanks

 

[dawg53]

I think you should try putting the older hen in there to 'teach' them to roost as you suggested. You dont want them sleeping on the floor, possibly in their own poop neither. Of course it's probably cooler on the floor as well (heat rises.) Maybe you can rig up a fan somehow to blow air in there at night like I did. I have it on high all day long and turn it down to the lowest setting just before they head in for the night and I leave it on. This has been the hottest summer I've seen. We're not even getting any sea breezes down here in Camden county like we normally do ugh!

 

[CMV]

I have an older group of hens that never learned to roost. I never pushed the issue like I probably should have. The only problem with not roosting is that the birds do get dirtier. Much dirtier. If a old timer comes along and roosts the others may get the idea, but if not you may need to help things along. A lot of folks end up having to physically place the birds up on a roost at night for a week or so until they get it. In the long run it's a good idea that they learn to roost. Otherwise, get used to chicken spa days where they all get a bath to remove feces stuck in their tail feathers.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

You can place a few of the non-roosting birds on the roost for a couple of nights. You don't have to put all of them up there. Wait until it's completely dark and take a flashlight with you. They will stay of the roost because they cannot see at night. The rest will watch and learn from them in just a few nights. Whenever I move birds from the brooder to the coop this is what I do.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Is there enough light in the coop so they can see the roosts when they go in? I had to put a nightlight in my coop for the first couple of days for my 14 weekers to find the roosts.

 

[kannna]

I had some that wouldn't roost. Found out they just didn't like their options. Made a new roost that was a little higher and they started sleeping there the first night.