Do chicks automatically know how to get on a roost?

[Dos Locos Polackos Acres]

We just brought our pullets home a little bit ago and they seem to be gathering in the bottom of the coop. They're approx. 6-8 weeks old. The guy we got them from said he'd had them in an outdoor brooder with no external heat source. They seemed to do fine on their ramp but haven't been all the way up to the nesting boxes our roost yet. Do we need to put them on their roost to show them where it's at tonight? Or will they instinctively find it?

 

[Compost King]

Eventually they will roost, sometimes I might take one and place them on the roosting bar but usually they jump down. Sometimes they stay and the others follow the next day. It all depends on them. You do not have to force it, maybe put one on a roost if its not too high and if they like it they will start roosting.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some don't roost until they are older. I would expect yours to sleep in a pile on the floor for a while yet.

 

[sourland]

They may not roost the first couple of nights while adapting to their new home, but instinct will eventually get them to roost.

 

[Dos Locos Polackos Acres]

Awesome! Thank you for helping me! I'm a little concerned because even tho the bottom of the run is done in chicken wire we are getting a little morning dew on the grass. Will this be ok? Will they be warm enough?

 

[Compost King]

the area where they will be sitting will be warm because they are sitting on it and the dew is condensation which forms on cold surfaces, likely they will not have dew right where they are but I am not certain because the grass next to them might get some. If they are feathered up the feathers will shed small amounts of water like dew

 

[black_cat]

Even if they are not roosting, they should be sleeping in the coop. It is not safe for them to sleep in the run, as if a predator makes its way into the run it will have immediate access to them instead of figuring out how to get through a closed door into the coop. They will also be far too cold as we get into fall and winter. It doesn't matter if they're roosting in the coop, but they should be in the coop.

 

[Dos Locos Polackos Acres]

Even if they are not roosting, they should be sleeping in the coop. It is not safe for them to sleep in the run, as if a predator makes its way into the run it will have immediate access to them instead of figuring out how to get through a closed door into the coop. They will also be far too cold as we get into fall and winter. It doesn't matter if they're roosting in the coop, but they should be in the coop.

Unfortunately this coop has one door and an then at the top of their ramp it's completely open. We bought it used as the guy who was supposed to sell us a brand new one we were supposed to pick up Saturday completely bailed on me Friday night! I'll have hubby make them a door tomorrow and make sure they're in the coop from now on. This thing is pretty critter safe, they reinforced the run pretty well and our dogs run outside barking at every little noise(very annoying) and the coop isn't far from the end of our fenced in backyard. I'm not happy with the situation and will remedy it asap. But it was the best we could do on short notice.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

We just brought our pullets home a little bit ago and they seem to be gathering in the bottom of the coop. They're approx. 6-8 weeks old. The guy we got them from said he'd had them in an outdoor brooder with no external heat source. They seemed to do fine on their ramp but haven't been all the way up to the nesting boxes our roost yet. Do we need to put them on their roost to show them where it's at tonight? Or will they instinctively find it?

They are a little young. I agree with oldhenlikesdogs. They will most likely sleep on the coop floor for a while so keep a good bit of bedding down for them to stay warm and padded for them also to be practicing their flying skills up onto the roosts and around the coop as they also explore it. Mine didn’t roost till they were about 10 weeks and then it was just like they had been doing it all their lives. Just be sure their roost bars are higher than their nest boxes in location and right now unless you are recycling a previous coop or they are going in with older hens I wouldn’t even put nest boxes in yet till they are closer till point of lay (POL).

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Oh yes. If you have enough bedding like shavings. They don’t need an external heat source in the summer- early fall heat if you are in the U.S. right now with our weather. At 6-8 weeks they should have enough feathers and heat from one another and the bedding to do well enough to be warm enough. My girls as I may have said are pullets at 18 weeks who are not at POL yet who still sleep clumped together on the roost. I don’t see how they don’t suffocate one another they sleep so close. They are three sisters each of three different breeds and they act as if all nine are blood sisters. They tickle me. Three sleep in back, three in front, three stand in between over top keeping watch and sleeping standing up halfway sleeping.