2 week olds not roosting

[The Burg Peeps]

We just received our first 4, 2 week old chicks (BR's) and I guess I am not sure as to what behaviours are normal for baby chicks. They seem to want to sleep on the ground and not roost. Is this normal? Should I encourage them to roost by placing them upon the board? Maybe my board is too thick. I have a 2x4 laying flat for they can roost on the 4"side. My husband read that they prefer not to wrap their feet around a stick but to have their feet flat... allowing them to sit on their feet for warmth and such.
Any suggestions are appreciated. We haven't hooked the lamp up yet as it is 90degrees in our garage but will have it up tonight. We also plan on putting a fan toward the back on low to create a cooler spot as well.

pics for reference (silver pie pan is filled with sand):

If you see anything I should be doing differently please feel free to give friendly suggestions. I do notice that they are huddled together but the temp is at 89 degrees so I don't want it much higher that that. I assumed at 2 weeks they would need around 85 degrees or so based on what I have read.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

[Katydid2011]

They'll roost when they're ready. My current batch of young ones didn't start roosting until they were about five weeks old. In the beginning, some preferred to roost while others stayed on the ground. Eventually, they were all up without any help from me.

You're right about the perch. They do prefer to roost with their toes flat rather than curled.

Your set-up looks good to me. 90 degrees is correct for two weeks with a five degree drop each subsequent week, so you won't need a heat lamp for very long.

Congratulations!

 

[gryeyes]

My chicks have always "play" roosted but NEVER roosted at night before they were anywhere from 10 to 14 weeks old. I think it has a lot to do with experience, practice, and confidence. I mean, could YOU balance on a board up above the safe ground level while asleep??

At five weeks, broody hens have taught their chicks to roost, but that's because their babies want to be with them so much. Hens would roost, and call the chicks, the chicks would try and try, and if they couldn't get up there, momma would come back down to the ground for them until about 5 or 6 weeks' time. After that, it was "roost or not, I'm not sleeping on the floor any more."

As I don't have the wherewithall to perch on a board in a coop, urging my store-bought chicks to join me, I just don't worry about it. They do eventually "get it."

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

Ours didn't roost for months. They take their sweet time.

 

[Christie Rhae]

mine always slept like a lil' pile of kittens at that age. lol

 

[sadies chicks]

My 16-week old silkies all still puddle in the corner, they could care less about the roosts.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

Quote:
Ours too! Last night I told my husband that they looked like three drunken frat boys passed out in a corner. They were face down in their shavings with their wings spread out. I had to watch and make sure they were brathing. Soooo cute!!!!

 

[The Burg Peeps]

Thanks for all the advice. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't suppose to be doing something with regards to roosting. I just want to keep my little ladies happy and healthy!

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

I raised my first group of girls in a cardboard brooder and by two weeks they were looking for higher ground but I didn't have anything in there that constituted a roost.

My new baby chicks are being raised by a broody hen and at 2.5 weeks they were starting to roost a bit on the ladder we keep in the pen. This batch is way more "street smart" than my first ones!

 

[cmom]

I agree. They will roost when they are ready.