has anyones chickens not roosted until close to laying?

[junior67]

i mean at least you know when your pullets will lay

that is my thought as long as my theory keeps up! LOL If it is then my buff cochin should lay sometime this week up till next Sun. LOL BUT the last 2 nights my blue Cochin has been roosting and I don't think she is ready to lay so she may blow my theory. LOL

 

[junior67]

Did you give them roosts to practice on as chicks in the brooder?

I gave mine a small one around 2 weeks old in the brooder that they used during the day when awake and slept under the MHP. at 4-4.5 weeks once off the MHP and I took it out I added a 2nd roosting bar and they used that when awake but to sleep they slept in a cuddle puddle in a corner of the brooder...... LOL I tried to get them used to it so they would transition to the roost in the coop easy. They LOVE the roost in the morning before the auto door opens. Just refuse to sleep on it. going to get a light that I can turn on when they start going in and have it turn off 15 min later and have it just on the roosting bar to see if that helps with out messing them up with it going off.

 

[kerbotx]

Ah, light could be an issue - I bet that helps them!

 

[junior67]

Ah, light could be an issue - I bet that helps them!

there are 2 windows each on 2 sides of my coop, then the whole triangle at the top of the other 2 sides is all open so the coop isn't really dark but figure I will see if maybe the light helps. Just seems odd if it was light they would start to roost one at a time about 2 weeks before they start laying (by my theory that 2 have proven correct so far.... waiting on my 3rd one to see if it is still right. LOL). But they are roosting on the smaller bar I put right in the spot where their cuddle puddle is, but I put that there weeks before the first one started using it. They just cuddled under and around it until then. Haahaa. But now I need to remove that bar and get them on the normal one...... haahaa.

 

[Sally PB]

Did you give them roosts to practice on as chicks in the brooder

Yes. My experience was just about exactly the same as @junior67. My young-uns are a few weeks behind hers, so maybe when they get to POL, they'll start going to the roost at night.

They go in the coop at dusk, they see the adults roost, but they like their huddle cuddle puddle in the corner.

 

[junior67]

almost time to see if my theory still holds true. My buff Cochin started roosting 11 days ago. My EE laid 12 days after she first started roosting, and my SF was around 12-14 days (didn't have anything saying exactly what day she started roosting). BUT my Cochin took 2 days off from roosting but thinking it may have been because someone stole "her spot" on the bar since she is always in the same spot. the 3rd day I watched and she was the first one in the coop and jumped up on the bar so fast. it was quite funny. But one of my other Cochins started roosting this week and she doesn't look any where close to laying so she is ruining my theory a little bit. LOL

 

[AZN]

Mine are 7 weeks and don't roost either. They will when they are ready I figure... I just don't want them to be pulled through the wire before then!

And yes, they loved their small roost in the broader, so they had practice.

 

[junior67]

Mine are 7 weeks and don't roost either. They will when they are ready I figure... I just don't want them to be pulled through the wire before then!

And yes, they loved their small roost in the broader, so they had practice.

Mine didn't end up roosting till maybe a month ago so around 26 weeks. And only 2 are laying still so my theory was wrong. Lol

 

[HSNEK]

Reading this thread, I have 3 pullets almost 14 weeks old, and I've raised them since day old chicks. I have a Green Queen, a Golden Buff, and an Easter Egger, and they all sleep in a 'cuddle-puddle' as well. I have no nest box in the coop yet, and I do have a roosting bar, but they won't use it at night. It is middle of January in a cold New England winter, so I'm not sure if that will delay when my hens lay their first eggs and would that delay when they use their roosting bar?

Is it normal to not roost at night at 14 weeks old? The pullets are not cold at night, and I even add a supplemental heating plate when below 10 degrees overnight (although I don't think they really need the heat either). All 3 birds are thriving but I am wondering when will these hens actually use a roosting bar at night.

 

[junior67]

Reading this thread, I have 3 pullets almost 14 weeks old, and I've raised them since day old chicks. I have a Green Queen, a Golden Buff, and an Easter Egger, and they all sleep in a 'cuddle-puddle' as well. I have no nest box in the coop yet, and I do have a roosting bar, but they won't use it at night. It is middle of January in a cold New England winter, so I'm not sure if that will delay when my hens lay their first eggs and would that delay when they use their roosting bar?

Is it normal to not roost at night at 14 weeks old? The pullets are not cold at night, and I even add a supplemental heating plate when below 10 degrees overnight (although I don't think they really need the heat either). All 3 birds are thriving but I am wondering when will these hens actually use a roosting bar at night.

Mine were so old when they used their roosting bar!!! as I said above they were around 26 weeks. They are now 9 mo and always roost with no issues. so my advice is let them cuddle puddle as long as they want they will figure it out. Oh and I still only have 3 laying so the roosting and laying didn't have anything to do with each other.

Oh where in NE are you? I am in MA. My EE was my first to lay. I think she was around 22 weeks? so yours may lay around the right time since they are still young and days will start getting longer so another 6-8 weeks will be sometime in March so betting they will start laying around then. I think the shorter days has delayed a few of mine from laying since they are now just over 9 mo and I am still waiting for 4 to start laying..... LOL