Encouraging young chickens to head into the roost at night

[ChrisWNY]

Raised a new flock of 8 hens (mixed variety) and recently took them out of their brooder and moved them into the coop full time now that the low temps in Western NY are 50F or above most nights (fully feathered, about 9 weeks old). The coop is fully enclosed with a ramp and a "roost" area elevated from the ground, with a 5 ft by 12 ft fenced-in run directly attached. The young chickens have been doing great during the day, running about moving between the coop area and the run constantly throughout the day.

The only hassle I've encountered is that none of the 8 young chickens head up the ramp into their roosting area at night on their own, so I've been heading out at dusk and placing them one by one into the roost, where they settle down and remain overnight (they're always out by morning, as they can freely leave the roost and head down the ramp through the opening in the roost). They all seem to huddle up near a corner of the coop on the ground where the door is located, which I've kept closed to get the young chickens accustomed to their new digs. I've tried placing food on the ramp at dusk to encourage them to head up on their own...they head up the ramp for the food but stop short of heading into the roost. They've been in the coop for a few days now.

At what point should these young hens head up the ramp into the roost on their own? My previous flock of hens seemed to head right up the ramp the first night I put them in the coop. They were around the same age (9-10 weeks old).

 

[InterestingChickens]

Some just need persistent training. Keep on doing it for about a week or two and hopefully they will get the message. Sometimes chickens prefer to sleep on the ground, but most will roost if given the chance.

 

[aart]

Did you put them in the coop first, and keep them in there for a few days and nights?
That helps 'home' them to the coop.

Are there windows in the coop?
I use a battery operated puck light for hesitant chicks.
Turn it on an hour before roost time, then turn it off when I lock up after dark.

 

[3KillerBs]

I had to herd my chickens into the coop at dusk for a week or two. These helped: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-herding-sticks-d.1405967/

 

[Ridgerunner]

What you describe is very familiar. Even when I house my chicks for a week or more in the coop section, mine tend to go to sleep under that pop door when I first let them into the run. My theory is that until they are ready to sleep on the roosts they prefer to sleep in a group in a low spot like they would do if a broody hen were taking care of them. On the ground under the pop door seems to be the place.

I typically move them to the grow-out coop at 5 weeks and let them in the run around 6 weeks. With no broody hen to lead them to the roosts mine tend to start roosting at around 10 to 12 weeks. Some start earlier, some wait longer, but 10 to 12 is a good average. Since I do not consider my run predator safe I go down there at dark to close the pop door to the grow-out coop and main coop. When the chicks are outside I lock them in the coop, it's usually not hard to catch them in the dark.

I do this every night until they learn to go in on their own. My broods are usually in the range of 20 chicks. Usually it takes me about a week before they all go in on their own. I have had a couple of broods that took me three weeks before the last few figured it out. They sleep on the grow-out coop floor until they start to roost.

I've seen many funny things with chickens but one that stands out was when I had about 17 chicks and I had put them in that grow-out coop from under that pop door the night before. The next night I went down there as they were settling in for the night under the pop door to do something else. They looked unsettled when they saw me and, one by one over a few minutes time span, every one went inside that grow-out coop. After that they all put themselves to bed in that grow-out coop whether I was there or not. That's the only time I only had to put them in that coop only once. Of course I was down there at bedtime for the next several batches but it never worked like that again. Each brood is different, you just don't know what they will do.

So my suggestion is to keep putting them in the coop until they get the message.

 

[cmom]

I keep mine in their coop for a couple of weeks and then they associate it as a safe place. I do feed them at night which helps to encourage them to go in to eat. The do have feed in their feeders when I check on them in the mornings to make sure they have plenty of water. Maybe for the first evening or two I have to round them up but they go willingly into their coop and from then on when they realize I'm putting feed in their feeders they go in good and all I do is shut their pop door. When I go out in the morning to collect the memory cards from my cameras that I have around the coops and check on their water, I open their pop doors and out they come. I have had to put them in one at a time in the past which can be a pain so now I do what works best for me and the birds. Good luck...
Here are my some of my chicks, They think they're hiding.

 

[ChrisWNY]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

I will try placing a battery powered light inside the roost area to encourage the young hens to go up the ramp and in on their own at dusk. I checked on them just a few minutes ago after dark...sure enough they were huddled on the ground again near the ramp, so I placed them in the roost again. They settle down and stay in there (until dawn, they come out on their own) once I put them inside the roost.

I'll keep at it hoping at some point over the next couple of weeks they start going up the ramp on their own at dusk. The entire coop area and run are connected and fully enclosed, the only way in is through a door to the main coop which I keep shut so the youngins get used to it for a couple of weeks before I let them out to free range occasionally. What gets me laughing is the little hens run up and down that ramp all day long, they always stop short though of heading into the fully enclosed roost. If I didn't know any better I'd think there was some sort of chicken repellent sprayed inside that roost!

 

[SCMommaHen]

I just went through this! Flashlight pointed at the door worked! First night they had no clue so I manually tossed them in and closed the door. 2nd night 1/3 (all my suspected roos) went in as soon as I turned on the light. 1/3 soon followed and 3 LO and 1 BO cried for 15 min until they figured it out. 3rd night roos were already in bed before light. Turned it on and all the others went right in except 1 BO hen. She cried for 15 min until she figured it out. 4th night all in bed before I could turn on light. Haven't used it since.

Guessing orpingtons aren't the smartest breed?

 

[McChooky]

My chicks have a solar light now.It comes on at sunrise and goes off at sun down(hopefully it'll teach them when to go to bed) I give them treats every night before I shut the chicken door and wait till they're on the roost before I lock them up.Mine are 8 weeks old.

 

[McChooky]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

I will try placing a battery powered light inside the roost area to encourage the young hens to go up the ramp and in on their own at dusk. I checked on them just a few minutes ago after dark...sure enough they were huddled on the ground again near the ramp, so I placed them in the roost again. They settle down and stay in there (until dawn, they come out on their own) once I put them inside the roost.

I'll keep at it hoping at some point over the next couple of weeks they start going up the ramp on their own at dusk. The entire coop area and run are connected and fully enclosed, the only way in is through a door to the main coop which I keep shut so the youngins get used to it for a couple of weeks before I let them out to free range occasionally. What gets me laughing is the little hens run up and down that ramp all day long, they always stop short though of heading into the fully enclosed roost. If I didn't know any better I'd think there was some sort of chicken repellent sprayed inside that roost!

Raised a new flock of 8 hens (mixed variety) and recently took them out of their brooder and moved them into the coop full time now that the low temps in Western NY are 50F or above most nights (fully feathered, about 9 weeks old). The coop is fully enclosed with a ramp and a "roost" area elevated from the ground, with a 5 ft by 12 ft fenced-in run directly attached. The young chickens have been doing great during the day, running about moving between the coop area and the run constantly throughout the day.

The only hassle I've encountered is that none of the 8 young chickens head up the ramp into their roosting area at night on their own, so I've been heading out at dusk and placing them one by one into the roost, where they settle down and remain overnight (they're always out by morning, as they can freely leave the roost and head down the ramp through the opening in the roost). They all seem to huddle up near a corner of the coop on the ground where the door is located, which I've kept closed to get the young chickens accustomed to their new digs. I've tried placing food on the ramp at dusk to encourage them to head up on their own...they head up the ramp for the food but stop short of heading into the roost. They've been in the coop for a few days now.

At what point should these young hens head up the ramp into the roost on their own? My previous flock of hens seemed to head right up the ramp the first night I put them in the coop. They were around the same age (9-10 weeks old).

Maybe they want a light?..lol Mine will go inside only if I leave a light on.(They have a big street light outside).When I quit leaving the light on at night they quit going inside.Mine have been in this same coop since they were a week old.