Brahma cockerel won’t roost.

[Tstraub]

I’m a new chicken owner. I have 11 8 week old birds, I believe 9 are hens 1 cockerel and one that I’m unsure of. At night 10 of the birds go up on their roost to sleep. The light Brahma cockerel sleeps on the floor of the coop. There is plenty of roosting space. I have one bar that’s 8 foot long and a little over a foot high. And 2 bars 6 for long and 3 feet up.

Should I be concerned about him sleeping in the bedding? I’ve read that it can lead to mites. I’ve also read that bird with feathered feet are more likely to have mite issues. I’ve tried to move him up to the roost but he jumps down and settles back into his favorite corner.

 

[AidKD]

I have 3 to 4 birds that like to sleep on the floor and in the nesting boxes and have done so for quite some time now. I wouldn't worry about it!

 

[RojoMarz]

Are the pullets Brahma's also? Asking because Brahma's are big birds and perhaps he isn't able to fly up to the roost. My Brahma's don't fly anywhere...it's like they trudge/clomp . I have a low roost and the Brahma's use the ramp to go up.

Are you putting him up on the roost when it's dark? Is the light in your picture on all the time or just for the pic?

 

[Tstraub]

Are the pullets Brahma's also? Asking because Brahma's are big birds and perhaps he isn't able to fly up to the roost. My Brahma's don't fly anywhere...it's like they trudge/clomp . I have a low roost and the Brahma's use the ramp to go up.

Are you putting him up on the roost when it's dark? Is the light in your picture on all the time or just for the pic?

One of the pullets is a Brahma. She makes it up to the roost without any trouble. I’m sure he is capable of getting up to the roost if he wanted to. They have a ramp to get into the coop and he often skips half the ramp. he will fly from the ground to the middle of the ramp then walk the rest of it

That light is not as bright in real life as the camera makes it appear. It’s just a nightlight bulb. It is on all the time. I installed it because the rest of the birds were having trouble making it inside the coop and up on the roost before sunset. Someone on YouTube said it helped their birds find the roosting bars so I tried it. It worked great for all but the Brahmas they both slept on the floor for a night or two. She figured it out fairly quickly he still doesn’t get it

 

[RojoMarz]

If you really want him to roost and don't want to wait on his timeline, I'd say turn off the light. Then go out after dark and put him on the roost. If he hops down, put him back, etc...it's sometimes a battle of the wills, to see who lasts longer and wins. If it's dark though, he's less inclined to jump down as he can't see well.

 

[Tstraub]

If you really want him to roost and don't want to wait on his timeline, I'd say turn off the light. Then go out after dark and put him on the roost. If he hops down, put him back, etc...it's sometimes a battle of the wills, to see who lasts longer and wins. If it's dark though, he's less inclined to jump down as he can't see well.

I’m not super worried about it. I’m just concerned because I have no experience with chickens. The whole flock is young I suppose I’ll just wait and see if he figures it out. Maybe I’ll build a ramp and see if that helps

 

[Tstraub]

So today when I mowed the lawn I unplugged the nightlight and forgot to plug it back in. All 11 birds made it all the way up on the high roost. I don’t know if it was a coincidence but I think I’ll just leave it off. Clearly they don’t need it.