A lot of my younger chickens just sleep huddled on the floor of my coop

[kdwag]

awww, that is sweet.

 

[lisamoran]

We moved our 4.5 month old chicks outside with 3 Buffs that are a couple months older. The 3 big girls are doing a lot of pecking, but for the most part they get along fairly well (it's only been 4 days...) My concern is that the younger ones would rather sleep on the floor of the coop and one insists on going into one of the nesting boxes to sleep. When we go in and place them on the roosting bars, they stay for the night. I just don't want to have to keep going in there and placing them. is it ok that they sleep on the floor?

 

[cleopatra]

I would also like to know if it's okay for them to sleep on the floor. I just got a 7 week, 8 week and 9 week old and they have their own coop for now. I had to put them into the coop for a couple of nights, but after 3 days they go up by themselves and sleep on the floor. So now I go out to make sure they're roosting. They seem to stay there all night once I place them, but I was wondering if I really need to do this.

 

[kaisabaijai]

Hell I have Warrens (or isa browns) that are about 8 months old and they still sleep huddled up on the floor and it is 75F - 80F degrees at night. A few roost but most huddle up. Several have died from getting suffocated or squished in the corner.

 

[AQHAchick22]

I hate to bring up an old thread again but this is the exact problem I have...
I have 27 8-week old chicks that pile into the corner at night and it's really starting to p*%&#( me off. I'm afraid of one of them suffocating or getting squished. They make awful noises as they pile ontop of eachother. Only 4 or 5 of them have caught onto roosting at night. Any ideas?

 

[JackE]

I hate to bring up an old thread again but this is the exact problem I have... I have 27 8-week old chicks that pile into the corner at night and it's really starting to p*%&#( me off. I'm afraid of one of them suffocating or getting squished. They make awful noises as they pile ontop of eachother. Only 4 or 5 of them have caught onto roosting at night. Any ideas?

Just leave them alone, they move up to the roost when they are ready. 8 weeks and your pi$$ed? Maybe you better rethink having chickens. Because if THAT irks you...
Jack

 

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
That was absolutely uncalled for. Maybe pi$$ed was the wrong way to describe it and it's more like irritated. I actually have had chickens for a couple years now and am perfectly aware that they move up when they are ready. I was just hoping there might be something to speed up the process so they aren't piling on top of one another in a small corner and possibly getting hurt. Maybe you better rethink posting on this forum if THAT is the attitude you get when somebody asks a question.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I've been fortunate that mine have been roosting since they were weeks old. I initially put a piece of 2 x 4 in the brooder, laying it flat on the floor. They all hopped on, of course it was only 2 inches high. When they hit about 4 weeks I put a taller roost in the brooder, it was about 4 inches off the floor.

We made a taller roost for the growing out pen and they're now 11 weeks old and in a tractor, using a regular roost. They go to it without fail every night and they even seem to have a "line up" order as each one roosts in the same spot.

Don't know if it's the breed of bird that makes them inclined to roost or if it's because I started them young. I have barred rocks, buff orpington, easter egger and a Delaware.

 

[AQHAchick22]

Quote:
Yeah I'm not sure either. I had a roost in their brooder and moved it up as well. It was as I moved them into the coop that they stopped, like they just decided they didn't want to use it. It's a ladder style too so they can choose which rung to be on.

My older hens roosted right from the start. I don't think there is any rhyme or reason for it sadly...I just get worried when they jam themselves in and step on each other. There are a bunch of different breeds in there as well. I think 5 of them are consistently on the roost and again, all different breeds .

I think my best bet might be to just let it go and cross my fingers that nobody gets hurt .

 

[cleopatra]

I've never had that many chickens before - we only have a flock of 5. When they were about that age, we went out every evening and put the ones that were on the floor up on the roost. Some caught on after a few nights and some took closer to a week, but now we have no problems. With 20 or so not roosting, this would be quite a chore even for a week. Maybe if you can get the majority of them to roost, the rest will follow. Good luck!