can chickens see good?

[atr04screw]

I have 5 9 weeks old chickens, and they are in a "2 story" coop. The bottom is an 8x4' run section and the top has a closed in roost area with 5 roosts, and a wire roost area for when it is hot outside. They like to sleep in the closed in section because it is dark, but they sleep on the ground and not the roosts. I know they can get up there because during the day time they sometimes hop up onto the roosts in the wire section with no problem. Do they have good enough sight to see the roosts when it is dark or do I need to put a light bulb in there?

 

[ramirezframing]

most chicks sleep in a group (pile), as they age they will roost

 

[atr04screw]

Thats exactly what they do, they all pile up in a corner with the rooster on the outside of the pile.

 

[HennyPennyHenHouse]

Mine also slept in a pile. At 14 weeks I decided it was time to learn to use the roost. For 5 nights, I had to pick up my 4 chickens and put them on the roost, sometimes numerous times until they stayed. On the 6th night, they were up there all on their own. And the same for every night since. I wanted to be sure they used the roost before I opened the nest boxes so they didn't decide to sleep in there.

My advice might be to give them some help. I'm not sure mine ever would have given up the "pile". It was way to hot to sleep on top of one another in a pile!

 

[atr04screw]

I've tried putting them up on the roosts before, I think the longest I did it was 3 days in a row. Most of them would stay, but sometimes 1 or 2 would hop down and sleep on the ground together. I guess I'll start doing it again until they get up there themselves.

 

[donrae]

They will start using the roosts when they're ready. They'll get on them as it's getting dark, they don't wait for full dark to roost. They can see them just fine. They're still babies and babies sleep on the floor.

 

[southerndesert]

Yes they should be using the roost on their own at 18 to 20 weeks.... It's the instinct to huddle under mommy thing when they are juvies still going on.

 

[OkieKristi]

If I understood correctly, the enclosed area with roosts is always dark. Is that right? At their age, it is normal to sleep in a pile on the floor, but if the enclosed roost area doesn't get any natural light, they may not be able to see to roost in the evenings.

 

[JodyJo]

I keep reading that other peoples chickens don't roost till older...mine have always roosted, even as baby chicks, I always provide a roost and adjust its size as they get larger...I have 3 9 week olds in a separate cage inside the coop to integrate them in...they have been roosting in it for weeks...guess they are all different.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

chickens have excellent vision with a full range of color