6 weeks and not roosting at night...normal?

[Christie Loves Silkies]

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Oh my mine is going to be cold, the mommy that hatched it and three others, killed it's siblings before I found them and saved it, I had to run to the hatchery, but they only had a Mille Fleur Duccle, so that's what I got for a brooder mate. I know I will have to get some more Silkie egg to hatch, I love when an evil plan comes around.

Around 6-8 weeks the silkies stop mothering the chicks.

 

[mstricer]

No I had to take it away from her (she was a BCM and smashed all the others)

 

[Chinchilla2]

As soon as you figure out how to get them to actually roost at night please let me know. Everything but the Marans are 12-14 weeks old and simply refuse to sleep on the roost bars. My hubby

at me for going out, putting them on the roost, coming back in, going out an hour later and putting them on the roost, three to six times a night before I finally get

with it and begin again the next night. Two weeks straight before I gave up and decided they can just sleep on the floor of the coop. They don't even go in the nest boxes, just curl up in a big feather pile in the middle of the floor (mind you the floor is nice and soft with shavings and such but still

).

Sad thing is... they take naps on the roost bars!!! I can go out there at any time of the day (except feeding time) and there will be at least 3 up there taking a nap.

they make no sense to me.

 

[gritsar]

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Again, depends on the silkie. Both of mine roosted and the one that hatched chicks patiently taught her chicks to roost too.

 

[mstricer]

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Again, depends on the silkie. Both of mine roosted and the one that hatched chicks patiently taught her chicks to roost too.

Oh good maybe everyone will teach it.

 

[gritsar]

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Again, depends on the silkie. Both of mine roosted and the one that hatched chicks patiently taught her chicks to roost too.

Oh good maybe everyone will teach it.

I watched my silkie Jethro with her chicks. When they got to be about 4 weeks old, instead of taking them to the nest at the end of the day, she would jump up on a roost and call to her chicks. Some were able to fly up there with her, some weren't. When they didn't all make it up on the roost, Jethro would jump down and take them to the nest. She continued this ritual every day or every other day until every last chick was able to roost with her.

 

[bobbieschicks]

My first set of chicks were the leghorns and they finally slept on the roost at eight weeks old. My second set of babies were six weeks when they decided the roost was best. I think they got it earlier because the leghorns were up there at night as an example. I tried to force the leghorns to roost starting at four weeks but quickly tired of the night time shifting of chicks. They figured it out on their own.

 

[Animalian]

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that's so sweet, what a good mum you have there

 

[gritsar]

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That's it right there. Keeping chickens can be as hard or as easy as you make it. Roosting is instinctive for them, but they have to do it in their own time.

 

[Warrprincess688]

Babies, usually under 8 weeks, can hop up on poles and perches but choose to sleep on the floor, usually in a huddle. Around 8-10 weeks they start to roost higher and higher. they will eventually roost