Adventures in Roost-Training My Girls

[HippieHomesteader]

So my 16 pullets are very good about recognizing the coop as their "safe nighttime place," but they can't seen to grasp the concept of roosting on the lovely roosts, and not the top of the feeder, the waterer, etc. Each night, I go out, scoop them up, and place them on the roost. The next night, I go out to find them roosting in strange places, or huddled on the floor in the front corner. This has been going on for a week or more.

Finally, tonight, I decided they needed to learn to find the roosts on their own. I kicked them out of the corner, and shooed them toward the roosts. A few jumped up and settled in quickly, but the rest kept trying to get back to their corner, and were just frantic when I wouldn't let them go. As everyone was running around clucking wildly, Matilda flew STRAIGHT UP in the air, grabbed my t-shirt at waist-height, and proceeded to climb up my side, around my arm, and settle on my shoulder. I walked quietly over to the roost, bent down so my shoulder was at roost height, and she... hopped up on my head.

I'm not sure I signed up for all this when I got chickens.... But it sure is entertaining. Of course, I have 12 feet of roost space, and all 16 birds are currently occupying 2 1/2 feet.

 

[Far North Queenslander]

Have they been in long?
1. They always go for the highest point to roost. Check out who is where. The boss bird will be highest, then number 2 is next and lower as they go down the social ladder. (nature imitates life!!

)

2. Put some wire mesh on top of the feeder and waterer. If they can't hold on they won't roost.

3. The ones on the floor will be keeping away from the dominant birds until they sort out the pecking order. Eventually they will all use it; the "I don't know why you do that but you keep doing it so it must be cool" principle kicks in.
4. It doesn't matter how big the perch is, they like to squash up. It's a Chook thing, kinda like girls and toilets.

If all else fails buy some super glue and take it from there.

 

[LizzyJo]

If they are in a coop where they're protected what difference does it make if they roost or huddle on the floor? My girls lived in a giant dog crate at night for their first 10 weeks. When they first had access to the new coop they would huddle together on the floor in a crate-shaped mass. With a few days (maybe 4) everyone was roosting. Are the roosts comfortable for them? I have 2 x 4s that are set (not screwed or nailed) into brackets. My plan was to be able to remove the 2 x 4s for cleaning. The ladies sit on the 4" part. They seem happy.

 

[fshinggrl]

How old are they? How long have they been in the coop? My chicks have been out there for 1.5 weeks and are just now figuring out the roosts. It is cool to see but they also like being on the floor too. My chicks are about 6 weeks old.

 

[greathorse]

I guess I wonder why we care at all about whether or not they go on the roost. Mine go on in all different stages of their lives some of my little ones go to a little roost at a couple of weeks, others are still on the floor at 16 weeks. I have never had one that did not roost after they began to lay. I am willing to be Grandma had never heard the term roost training. I have never given it more than a curious thought. Why aren't they on that nice roost? I guess cause they dont wanna. LOL

 

[HippieHomesteader]

Why aren't they on that nice roost? I guess cause they dont wanna. LOL

That was my thinking too, hehe. It really didn't matter to me, and I'm a big believer in letting animals make their own choices (as much as possible). Except them roosting in the storage area makes for loads of poo on top of the food container, and huddled in the corner means I walk through poo anytime I go into the coop.

I really think the problem was they couldn't figure out how to get up to the roosts (which are definitely the tallest point in the coop), even after I put the ladder in, and they were content to huddle in the corner (after all, that was routine).

Last night I was welcomed by the sight of 8 happy churring chicks on the roost, and the others figured it out in pretty short order! Of course, Gretchen thought my shoulder might be the best place to hunker down for the night... In her defense, it was the highest thing in the coop!