Do chicks automatically know how to get on a roost?

[BDutch]

A good and safe coop is very important to keep you’re chicks safe and healthy. Provide lots of ventilation and a window if possible.

Keep the chicks in the new coop for the rest of the day and a night. Best let them go out and in themselves into a small run the first days to make them at home.

Make roost in the run too to ‘practice’.

What breed are the chicks? Some breeds don't roost/don't roost high. But if these are ‘normal’ chicks and don’t roost with 10 weeks I would train them to do so. By putting them on the roost at nightfall. If its dark they won’t come down again. And after a week most young chicks will roost withouth help.

p.s straw is a warmer bedding/has a higher isolation value then shavings.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I use the shavings in my coop because I live where it’s very hot sometimes 8 months or more out of the year with other days of the year out of some colder months even having several mild and unpredictable weather conditions that are also much more mild in temperature and humidity than one would suspect for the time of year in the question. I am going to prepare for the hurricane that is coming this week expecting to hit the Florida Panhandle, The Alabama and Mississippi GulfCoasts and Louisiana by also spreading barn lime, some DE in dust Baths mixed with potting soils, and then back to the run floor I am going to finish with the barn lime, and then spread out wood shavings every where to have a good layer out just in case the rain coming causes some flooding in my yard and any run off gets into the chicken run and causes problems. The run is covered completely and should not flood at all or have a problem with run off at all. I am worried that yard run off might cause a small problem if we get several inches of rain to deal with. We have a pool so that might cause us a problem. Other than that we should be fine. Good luck with your flock. That is my reasoning and I will put straw in my girls nest boxes on top of the shavings once they lay. I have nest liners but they don’t fit our hubby designed boxes which is perfectly fine. I will find a use for them somewhere.

 

[Dos Locos Polackos Acres]

Thank you everyone for your help. I'll get some pine straw for them for warmth. Or weather can be slightly unpredictable warm for weeks at a time then turn off chilly and then start warming up. Thankfully our super cold months are still 3-4 mo. away yet. The roost bar isn't very high off the floor of the coop itself and now I'm wondering if we shouldn't add on a little higher for them. I've forgotten what type the guy said they were but I believe he said they were Sussex. Anyway I'll take y'all's advice and fix the coop starting today. Thank you again everyone!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The roost bar isn't very high off the floor of the coop itself and now I'm wondering if we shouldn't add on a little higher for them.

Yes roosting is instinctive and most breeds (not Silkies or very heavy breeds) prefer a higher roost, as that caters to their feeling of safety of being up in a tree away from ground predators. I've never had an issue getting chicks to roost (first group roosted at 7 weeks after sleeping on the ground for about 2 weeks, all chicks after that have roosted early (4-5 weeks) by copying the adults.)

Photos of your coop inside and out can help if you think you need to make changes and aren't sure how.