Cold chicks

[Chickslady]

Are my chickens too cold? I have four chickens and all four of them were literally sleeping in top of each other in one of the nesting boxes! I made them a large sleeping area but they cram into one of the nesting boxes. I have a roosting bar but they haven’t even used it.. it’s three in a half feet high which I thought they’d like because they like a bush that high in the yard. So now I’m thinking they’re cold at night. It’s getting down to 45 degrees at night. Open to Any ideas or suggestions.. I’m new at this. My Chicks are 14 was old.
Thanks!

 

[Dinoroar]

What breed are your chicks? When I had silkies they would sleep in piles like that.

 

[Chickslady]

They are Golden Buffs. I have removable dividers for my nesting boxes so I took one out so they had a little more room cuz they could barely move and their heads were just sticking out under each other’s feathers to breathe! Lol

 

[rosemarythyme]

No they're not cold. Best to discourage them from sleeping in the nests, as it becomes a bad habit (unless you're fine with poop covered eggs). I would pick them up and put them on the roost each night until they get with the program.

 

[aart]

No they're not cold. Best to discourage them from sleeping in the nests, as it becomes a bad habit (unless you're fine with poop covered eggs). I would pick them up and put them on the roost each night until they get with the program.

Ditto Dat!

My Chicks are 14 was old.

14 weeks old?
Have they been sleeping in the nests all that time?
Pics of your coop showing nests and roost would help immensely here.

 

[Acre4Me]

How high are the nest boxes? Roosts should be higher than nest boxes. Don’t raise the roosts, lower the nest boxes instead.

roosts: the chickens need space to fly down from the roosts or in some manner get down, so they need landing distance. What are dimensions of your coop?

young chickens need to be trained sometimes. We have a mixed age flock, and young ones or low pecking order ones try to sleep in nest boxes. So, we block them off at night.

good luck!

 

[Chickslady]

Ditto Dat!



14 weeks old?
Have they been sleeping in the nests all that time?
Pics of your coop showing nests and roost would help immensely here.

Ditto Dat!



14 weeks old?
Have they been sleeping in the nests all that time?
Pics of your coop showing nests and roost would help immensely

How high are the nest boxes? Roosts should be higher than nest boxes. Don’t raise the roosts, lower the nest boxes instead.

roosts: the chickens need space to fly down from the roosts or in some manner get down, so they need landing distance. What are dimensions of your coop?

young chickens need to be trained sometimes. We have a mixed age flock, and young ones or low pecking order ones try to sleep in nest boxes. So, we block them off at night.

good luck!

Thanks for the advice! After reading this I rigged up a ladder to get to the roost and it worked ! I thought they had enough room to get up and down but guess I was wrong. They seem much happier now and so am I knowing they’re more comfy!

 

[Chickslady]

Thanks everyone for your advice it’s been very helpful!

 

[aart]

Thanks for the advice! After reading this I rigged up a ladder to get to the roost and it worked ! I thought they had enough room to get up and down but guess I was wrong. They seem much happier now and so am I knowing they’re more comfy!

Great, hopefully they have room to get down too.