How do I get my chickens to use the perch?

[heath_elisha]

this thread may help us with our 17 week old's- some sleep in the nest box instead of roosting. drives us nuts! poop everywhere... gonna try moving the roosts higher and see if it helps.... thanks!

 

[turbodog]

Quote:
If it's possible, you might consider removing the nest boxes so they can't use them to sleep in. Many folks reccomend not putting in (or blocking access to) nest boxes until the chickens are at laying age, just because of that problem.

 

[pawsplus]

It took a while for my young 'uns to start using the roosts in the coop. They roosted just fine when they were alone in their quarantine crate, and later when they were alone in the pen next to the main pen. Once they were intro'd to the old girls, they were so busy being obsequious and trying not to piss off Clarice that they refused to roost. I even added a second low roost clear on the other side of the coop, thinking they would be more relaxed there, but they still wouldn't do it on their own.

So every evening I placed them on the lowest roost on the ladder after Clarice and Svetlana were already in their spots. They stayed all night once I had placed them.

It took 3 weeks, but finally they started going up on their own! And last night I found Audrey sitting next to Svetlana!

So my advice is to just keep on putting them in place. They'll eventually chill and start doing it themselves.

 

[mstricer]

What I did was after dark I would go in and put them on the roosts. It was dark so they stayed their. You can try that.
Michele

 

[Smarcebird]

I have a few girls that refuse the roost also. They are the bottom of the pecking order. My coop is elevated about 4 ft, with roost higher than nesting boxes, they don't sleep in the boxes, just the floor. Is it really a problem? Does anything bad happen if they don't roost?

 

[pixie546]

I have a small flock of Silkies, and just moved, so they got a new coop. Knowing they don't like to go up to sleep, I built very low perches just like their old coop (which stayed at the old house), and made some nest boxes out of an old 3x3 cube style bookcase. Way too tall for them I know but I'm planning to bring my Buff Orps and some Phoenix/Easter Egger crosses down as soon as I get the run covered (so they don't fly out!). So NO ONE sleeps on the perches. Most of them cluster by the door on the floor, except 2 ladies that roost in the 2nd level of boxes!! And they lay their eggs BEHIND the perches in a little dark space, so I have to hunch over big time to get them. But, no poop on the eggs! So I guess I win????

 

[SteveBaz]

I recommend to put them everywhere.

 

[Gypsi]

I went to your byc page to look, and it was blank.

I don't know how warm it is where you are, is it cool or breezy by the roost?
When I first finished the big hen coop, my birds would roost on the back of the brooder they had grown up in, near the back wall of the run. I screened that area off with window screen but was terrified that a raccoon would find a way to grab one. I moved them to the perch in the coop at night, but they wouldn't roost there.

Finally I took the brooder apart, and for about a week they did roost in the coop. Til I built the 4 tier run roost. It's safer, further from the wall than the old brooder, airy in the hot weather, under a roof so they don't get wet, and unless it is near freezing, that's where 4 out of 5 hens sleep. For some reason the Barred rock moved into the coop about 2 or 3 weeks ago, but she is on a roost.

I like the idea of multiple roosts. I actually have 3, but no one has used the east roost in a year now.

Could you change your nest boxes in some way - go to pet carriers with a ceramic egg, or something like that, for a week or so, and maybe add a couple of more perches?

Gypsi

 

[slim1986]

Chickens are creatures of habit, when I comes to roosting anyways! We had to move our flock up off the ground into their roosts by hand every night till they figured out that's where they were supposed to be! Unfortunately for those us with chickens who don't roost where they should, chickens are also stubborn (at least mine were! Lol) so it may take several nights to get them in that habit, but the will eventually they will get the idea! Good luck with 'em!

 

[JayneD]

Again thanks for the replies. I haven't updated my page yet because I'm waiting for my husband to get back from his work trip to help me!! I've uploaded photos of the run and house but haven't added them to a blog or anything.