7 wk old chicks roosting ability? Am I an overprotective chicken mama?

[diggergal]

I have seven week old chicks. They are in an 8' x 8' coop. We put a poop board at 3 feet and staggered roosts at 4 1/2 ft and 5 1/2 feet. When we put the chicks in the new coop we removed the poop board and made a ramp to the 3 ft 2x4s that had been holding up the poop board. We removed the higher roosts for fear they may try to fly up and down before they were ready.

Now almost all the chicks are flying to temporary lower roost board. Is it too soon to put poop board back and the 4 1/2 ft and 5 1/2 ft roosts back in the coop? We will put a ramp to new higher roosts. I am just afraid they may not be able to fly down without hurting themselves yet. I guess I am anxious to get a poop board under there roost area. I don't want to be premature and be responsible for them hurting themselves. Am I being overprotective?

 

[Cuban Longtails]

As long as the bottom of their coop isn't rock hard, they shouldn't harm themselves flying down from higher roosts.

 

[diggergal]

It is a wood floor covered with linoleum and 3-4 inches pine shavings. Are they coordinated enough at 7 weeks to fly and land from 4 1/2 feet?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chicks are tough. They'll test their limits. But generally, it would be pretty hard to endanger them in this manner. Do what you are comfortable doing. I've seen 3 week old chicks fly up from floor to waterer and then up to an even higher "roost" 3 feet above the floor. I've seen them fly themselves down as well. At 8 weeks, I've caught up as high as 5 feet off the floor and fly down without issue. It's just what they do. They are birds.

 

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

Mine have been roosting at 5.5 ft since they were approx 6 weeks old.
I have other roosting bars and a poop board lower than that, thinking they would use both as a stair step up to the high one, but they jump/fly to the middle one, then to the top one. If I could get one higher, they'd be there.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

In general, I would recommend that you make it easy for them to walk down the ramp from the highest roost, or easy to jump from highest roost to a lower roost, (then a walk down the ramp).

If they do a lot of jumping down from very high roosts, with heavy breeds at least, you can predispose them to bumblefoot.

This might not be a problem for you at all, with your setup.

I just thought I would mention this.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Mine roost at 5 ft all the time, they are about the same age as yours. I have a good layer of straw on the floor so it helps with them flying down, and they do have wing feathers so they fly a bit.

 

[Nicole01]

My dark brahma flew on my shoulder while I was standing. It scared me.lol. I was more then shocked, she was 8/9 weeks when she did that. I didn't realize they could fly.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

My broody raised chicks are a little over for weeks old, they've been roosting since about 2.5 weeks old. I think they spent 3 or 4 nights on a roost that's about 4 ft off the ground. After that they went up with the big birds. My main roosts are about 8 ft high. They snuggle up to mama on the big roost and don't have any problems getting up or down. Good luck with your babies!

 

[diggergal]

Thanks for everyones replies. I think this weekend I will put the poop board in and re-install the 4 1/2 and 5 /12 ft roosts. My baby chicks are growing up! I may put a little extra pine shavings in for a softer landing.