Getting them to go up to roost

[browndog]

I am new here, so please forgive me if this has been asked before!

I built my chicks a 2 story chicken ark. They were on my screened in porch in a "tub" until I got the ark done. I moved them into the ark about 3 days ago along with their heat light. They haven't figure out how to get up the steps to the roost. We chased them and put them up there one night, but man was it work and upsetting to the chicks. How do I encourage them to check it out on their own? They are sleeping on the ground near, but not right under the light. They are 3 weeks old. Thanks for any advice!

 

[hunter109]

i put a perch in my brooder and almost of them are roosting on it now they are going to be a week and a day old here tommrow well idk how to get them up on there but try some treats up on them maybe they will then

 

[Sorin]

Sometimes they have to be taught. Wait until it's dark, they will be calmer then, and put them on the roost. Chickens do not see well in the dark, that's why they are a little calmer, so once you put them there they should not jump down. You will probably have to do this for several nights until they take the hint. My first batch of chickens took two weeks before they were all roosting on their own, but it was easy to get them up there once it was completely dark.

I forgot to ask, how old are they? If they are babies, I don't know if I would worry about it too much because they will be up eating through the night.

 

[rebeccabaird]

Mine didn't roost right away when I put them in the coop. It took about a week before they would sleep on the roost.

 

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

Mine had a roost in the coop that was only about a foot off the ground. They stayed on that until they were about 3 1/2 weeks, then I put another about 2 feet up, and they stair stepped up to that one. Then, just yesterday, I rearranged all of the roosts, and put another one at about 6ft from the coop floor. Now they stair step up to it, and LOVE the top roost. They are just over 5 weeks old. The light stays on until around 9pm, but they know when its bed time and are settled in before the light goes off.