2018 Newbie Chat!

[CannedMonster]

This is a brilliant idea, I am so glad I've seen your post! I have two Rhode Island Reds aged 13/15 weeks so a little way to go before they start laying - the thing is they have a nesting compartment built into their hutch but they have taken to sleeping in it and won't use the part meant for sleeping other than to eat/drink ( as its where I put their food) they won't roost either, even free ranging in the garden with plenty of places to roost they snuggle up in the grass when having a nap, for what ever their reason they just won't roost although I've tried to encourage them to do so - tried putting them on the roost bars at night but they just jump off - tried adding roost bar in nesting area too, but still they insist on sleeping snuggled together on the floor - I don't mind at all if its what they want but I was concerned about when they start to lay but now thinking I'll copy your idea and put the boxes in the sleeping compartment so they can keep the nest compartment for sleeping if they choose to

Are you talking about the covered kitty litter boxes?
My older ones slept on the floor for a very long time. The lady I got them from doesn’t have roosts in her coop. I don’t really know why.
I got chicks in March and taught them to roost as chicks by putting little roosts about 4 inches off the ground in the brooder with them.
Also they had a small ramp leading to a bin with dirt for dust bathing. All in their large brooder.
Those birds had no problem with it and actually taught my older birds to roost and get off of the floor.
The older ones actually go all the way up to the top roost 8 feet off the ground!
My new chicks are 4-5 weeks and already jump up to roosts 3 feet off the ground. They have several in their run at different heights as well as a couple in their coop.
They were using the ramp at 2-3 weeks.
Exposing chicks to many things earlier often helps a lot when they graduate to a coop later.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Are you talking about the covered kitty litter boxes?
My older ones slept on the floor for a very long time. The lady I got them from doesn’t have roosts in her coop. I don’t really know why.
I got chicks in March and taught them to roost as chicks by putting little roosts about 4 inches off the ground in the brooder with them.
Also they had a small ramp leading to a bin with dirt for dust bathing. All in their large brooder.
Those birds had no problem with it and actually taught my older birds to roost and get off of the floor.
The older ones actually go all the way up to the top roost 8 feet off the ground!
My new chicks are 4-5 weeks and already jump up to roosts 3 feet off the ground. They have several in their run at different heights as well as a couple in their coop.
They were using the ramp at 2-3 weeks.
Exposing chicks to many things earlier often helps a lot when they graduate to a coop later.

Thinking of the bowls you have in your picture but would only need one or two as I only have the two chickens - got them 3/5 weeks old along with two Runner duck they same age, we built an indoor coop which we kept all four in together until old enough to move outside - we tried them with roost bars from the get go but they slept with the ducks - they often would sleep standing on the ducks and when free ranging together still do sometimes which makes me think they want to roost - we made a roosting square which sits on the floor (two blocks of wood on top of two blocks of wood forming a square) the younger one sometimes uses it but not for sleeping - we free range them everyday for the whole day unless we have to go out then we lock them in their run, they have two upturned plant pots they like to sit on which we have put in the run for them, they sit on them quite often for short periods but not when it comes to sleeping. They will stand on the bars, ledges, backs of chairs in the garden, the upturned plant pots etc especially when preening, just won't sleep on them, when it comes to napping or sleeping they jump down to the ground. They were hatched in an incubator at a farm park along with ducks, they have been together with the ducks we have since hatching, the two they were raised with are drakes which we now have females for, so we sleep them separate in a two story hutch - ducks at the bottom, chickens up top, they still share a run and free range together too - we free range them everyday for the whole day unless we have to go out, then we put them in the run - but it is rare that happens. The elder chicken likes to sit on my shoulder but if having a nap she will jump down to my lap and fall asleep - for what ever their reason they just don't seem to want to sleep roosting?

 

[CannedMonster]

Thinking of the bowls you have in your picture but would only need one or two as I only have the two chickens - got them 3/5 weeks old along with two Runner duck they same age, we built an indoor coop which we kept all four in together until old enough to move outside - we tried them with roost bars from the get go but they slept with the ducks - they often would sleep standing on the ducks and when free ranging together still do sometimes which makes me think they want to roost - we made a roosting square which sits on the floor (two blocks of wood on top of two blocks of wood forming a square) the younger one sometimes uses it but not for sleeping - we free range them everyday for the whole day unless we have to go out then we lock them in their run, they have two upturned plant pots they like to sit on which we have put in the run for them, they sit on them quite often for short periods but not when it comes to sleeping. They will stand on the bars, ledges, backs of chairs in the garden, the upturned plant pots etc especially when preening, just won't sleep on them, when it comes to napping or sleeping they jump down to the ground. They were hatched in an incubator at a farm park along with ducks, they have been together with the ducks we have since hatching, the two they were raised with are drakes which we now have females for, so we sleep them separate in a two story hutch - ducks at the bottom, chickens up top, they still share a run and free range together too - we free range them everyday for the whole day unless we have to go out, then we put them in the run - but it is rare that happens. The elder chicken likes to sit on my shoulder but if having a nap she will jump down to my lap and fall asleep - for what ever their reason they just don't seem to want to sleep roosting?

From everything I’ve read on BYC, you have to go into the coop after it’s dark.
Like with a flashlight.
Pick them up and put them on the roosts.
After dark chickens won’t move from their spot unless they have to.
Do this for several nights and they should get the hang of it.
Even if they don’t it’s not harmful to them.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

From everything I’ve read on BYC, you have to go into the coop after it’s dark.
Like with a flashlight.
Pick them up and put them on the roosts.
After dark chickens won’t move from their spot unless they have to.
Do this for several nights and they should get the hang of it.
Even if they don’t it’s not harmful to them.

Ahhh good idea, hadn't thought of that - will give it a go. Thank you

 

[JMotuzick]

Close off the nest boxes for a few weeks too, they shouldn’t be in there unless they are ready to lay. At 14 weeks they are a few weeks to young too. That with picking them up every night should fix things.


Dealing with a oops roster too. At about 20 weeks he is. It getting along with one of our Cochin hens. Last night I let them free range for a bit, he had her in a wooded area and was standing on her head, she was squatting for him too!

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Close off the nest boxes for a few weeks too, they shouldn’t be in there unless they are ready to lay. At 14 weeks they are a few weeks to young too. That with picking them up every night should fix things.


Dealing with a oops roster too. At about 20 weeks he is. It getting along with one of our Cochin hens. Last night I let them free range for a bit, he had her in a wooded area and was standing on her head, she was squatting for him too!

Good advice, thank you - I've already been in and put them on the roost so I will block off the nesting entrance tomorrow

 

[Anna Ranieri]

From everything I’ve read on BYC, you have to go into the coop after it’s dark.
Like with a flashlight.
Pick them up and put them on the roosts.
After dark chickens won’t move from their spot unless they have to.
Do this for several nights and they should get the hang of it.
Even if they don’t it’s not harmful to them.

I've just been in and have put them on the roost bar, another BYC user has advised that I block off the nesting compartment entrance too, so I will do that in the morning. Thank you greatly for all your help and advice and for having such a great idea - I have a really good feeling about this! Will let you know the outcome, thanks again for your help

 

[CannedMonster]

I've just been in and have put them on the roost bar, another BYC user has advised that I block off the nesting compartment entrance too, so I will do that in the morning. Thank you greatly for all your help and advice and for having such a great idea - I have a really good feeling about this! Will let you know the outcome, thanks again for your help

Oh you are very welcome!
I forgot about blocking the nest boxes.
I had to do that for a while until they were close to laying.
When they get close to laying (red combs and wattles) open up the nest boxes and put dummy eggs in there.
You can use ceramic, wood, golf balls, even those plastic Easter eggs can work.
This is to allow them to check the nest boxes out and seeing the dummy eggs helps them know it’s a safe place to lay.

 

[Kat2141]

I've just been in and have put them on the roost bar, another BYC user has advised that I block off the nesting compartment entrance too, so I will do that in the morning. Thank you greatly for all your help and advice and for having such a great idea - I have a really good feeling about this! Will let you know the outcome, thanks again for your help

Our girls are in an old horse stall and there was a wooden manger in it that I planned to use for a nest box. I put a "roof" over it. Then I put a roost on the opposite wall. Well, for a while they slept in the manger, then moved to the "roof" of it. Then I put a 2x4 on brackets about a foot away from the wall that they could get on from the "roof". It didn't take long for them to decide to move to that. At first one or two would move from one level to next, then they all would. They now have a regular jungle gym in there with boards and ramps at all different levels. They go to the highest one now to sleep but I just let them figure it all out on their own, in their own time. BTW, they use the manger for the nest box as I intended (just put a ceramic egg in there and they are all good). I did learn that I needed to have a light on early in the morning in the winter because they started laying eggs on the floor. I finally figured out that when they went down in the morning, they couldn't see good to get up into the manger/nest box. I put a string of LED Christmas lights (5 watts) in there on a timer and they went back to using the box.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Oh you are very welcome!
I forgot about blocking the nest boxes.
I had to do that for a while until they were close to laying.
When they get close to laying (red combs and wattles) open up the nest boxes and put dummy eggs in there.
You can use ceramic, wood, golf balls, even those plastic Easter eggs can work.
This is to allow them to check the nest boxes out and seeing the dummy eggs helps them know it’s a safe place to lay.

Oh wow, thank you, I didn't know any of this - I did wonder how they'd know where to lay. I am so glad you have told me this, now I know about combs/wattles gives me something to look out for. I know RIR can start laying as early as 20 weeks and as late as 9 months, ours haven't even started any wattle development yet, their faces are beginning to turn red but combs are still completely yellow, so I am sure ours will be a long while yet until they start laying - I don't mind though, we have them purely as pets, won't even be eating any of the eggs, will be gifting them to family and friends, so the wait isn't a bother, I just a little anxious because its my first time of having poultry and I'm scared I'll do something wrong. I am so thankful to you and all the kind BYC uses for being so willing and free with sharing your valuable knowledge, I have learned so much from you already - thank you massively