chickens won't roost

[raspeary]

So my husband finally put a roost in the coop, and they won't roost at all. They just lay on the floor either in the corner or right underneath the roost. My husband thinks it might be cause they are afraid to fly up because of a beam about 6-8 inches away form the roost.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are your chicks? How high is the roost?

Mine started roosting at 8 weeks. Others report it can be much later.

 

[Baymen Moe]

Mine just started last week, they're 10 weeks old. Like yours, mine would just pile in a corner of the coop. So, one night I went out and picked them up one by one (with very little protest) and put them on the roost. The next night they all went for the roost, I could not believe it. It works. Don't get frustrated, they will get it sooner or later.

Bill

 

[Camelot Farms]

I wouldnt think the beam is a deterrent. I have a few rogue chickens that insist on roosting in the rafters of our barn. The rafters are only about 10 inches from the roof and these girls fly up 8 feet to get to them.

 

[cmom]

Do you have any pictures? I put a roost in the brooder and in their coop from the get go.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

My chicks used the various roosts in their brooder. When I moved them to the coop at age 6 wks they didn't use the roost I made for them.

I did move their HUGE stock tank brooder out with them with the red heat lamp in March when the temps were still 30's - 50's. They slept in the brooder.

A month or so later, some started roosting on the top of the stock tank and it wasn't until I put a long roost 4' high where they could see out the window that they all started using that roost with squabling over who got to be on the window side.

Good luck with yours.

 

[AmyRey]

Omigosh. Those pictures are going to seriously make me reconsider my "no raising chicks" policy.

 

[Chickn chick 46]

My 6 1/2 week old chicks are insisting on roosting on a shelf about 5 inches wide in their coop. We made them a nice oak tree roost, which they will occasionally use during the day but come night fall, its a bunch of pushing, shoving and falling off. This shelf is part of the roof line so its at an angle too.

I figure that eventually they won't be able to get up there and they will have to use the roost.