Do All Chickens Roost at Night?

[Lunachick]

Mine don't. They make nests in the shavings and sleep there. I have a small coop for my three, and the roost is in there but they use it as a step into the hutch and sleep on the shavings behind the roost pole.

My Dad is giving all his children some inheritance $$, (thanks Dad!) And I'm going to have alot of fun building a decent coop and run. With the new coop I will have roosts in there. Curious to see if they sleep there or not.

But I do have roosts in the run, and they're on there all the time. Do I have weird chickens?

 

[zeldadog]

No your chickens are not weird I have three hens that sleep on the roost and a rooster that sleeps at the door on the floor of the chicken house it's like he is the watchman.

 

[Lunachick]

Yeah but your hens are sleeping ON the roost. I can understand your rooster doing his job at the doorway. Mine don't sleep on the roost.:|

 

[Matt A NC]

Every chicken I have ever had has roosted. That even includes silkies. At an early age, normally when they are moved from a brooder to a starter house, I teach them to roost. Just set them on the perch each night till they get the hang of it. Make sure they stay there for the night. I even have a small mobile perch that I set into brooders to let them bounce around on.

Some take to it instantly, but some take 3-4 days of teaching.

Roosting is alot more sanitary for any bird.

Matt
Morganton, NC

 

[Lunachick]

Thanks for the reply Matt. In the beginning they were sleeping in the nest box. I was advised to place them on the roost at night. Which I did, but eventually they started nesting in the shavings. Each morning I scoop out the poop, so the shavings are always clean. Can you teach older chickens to re roost?

 

[raindrop]

I think you can. Just put them on the roosts every night after dark for a few days and they should get the hang of it.

 

[crysmom]

I do this but they just jump right off?

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

when my chickens were younger they would roost all the time - but as they grew up and moved into the " big girl " coop they have started to sleep in the shavings - the only two that roost now are my little bantys.

my girls dont even use a nest box - they lay thier eggs in the shavings also

oh well as long as my girls go into the coop at night and lay thier eggs in the coop and not in the yard I just let them sleep where they want.

they are happy and healthy

Julie