How Soon for Roosting?

[Swiftbow]

Just wondering if this is normal behavior. We have two chicks, hatched and raised by a broody hen. She's done an excellent job so far. They're almost 5 weeks old. They follow her everywhere, foraging, dirt-bathing, and hanging out with our other hens. Our cat was briefly interested, but the mom (Goose; her name, not her species) gave her a good scare and we haven't had any more trouble.

What I'm posting about, is that Goose decided she wanted to sleep on the roost tonight instead of the nest box. The chicks obligingly flew up there with her and, after a good deal of shuffling around with our other hens (and sitting on the back of one of our pullets), finally settled under her wings, apparently comfy.

They're pretty well feathered (except their heads), and it's not a cold night, so I'm assuming all will be well. I kind of expected they'd be in the box until about 2 months, though. Our other hens didn't try to roost at all until almost 4 months (though they didn't have a mom around to show them the ropes). The kids are certainly good at flying already! So, just mostly wondering if this is okay, or if we should encourage her to keep using the box.

Thanks!

 

[Pork Pie]

They are perfectly fine. Let momma do her thing - she knows what's best for her chicks

 

[Sassysouth]

Your flock is absolutely beautiful! Those chicks are precious!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Going to roost at 5 weeks in some chicken circles would be looked at as "a slow leaner"

But in reality it is the hen who initiates roosting behavior. The chicks are still in that
"Where mother goes there I shall also go" mode. Just be glad that she waited until her chicks can follow her to the roost. It is a cast iron what-you-call-it to go out every evening and round up 10 or 15 chicks hiding in the weeds and reunite them in a tall tree with mommy dearest.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My brooder-raised chicks typically start roosting around 10 to 12 weeks of age. I've had some that started at 5 weeks, some that take a lot longer than 12 weeks, but all things equal, 10 to 12 is a good average for brooder-raised chicks.

I can't say I have an average for my broody-raised chicks. I've had a broody take her chicks to the roosts at 2 weeks. Yes the chicks can fly really well at that age if Mama motivates them. They couldn't all fit under her up there but it was a warm time of year and they did fine. I've had broody hens not take their chicks to the roosts at all, even when they did not wean them until nine weeks.

If I had to give a "normal" time for a broody hen to take her chicks to the roost, assuming she does, I'd say 4 to 5 weeks. But chickens are tremendously not consistent. There are no rules as to when they actually do something. In the greater scheme of things I don't think it matters. Say after me "it just doesn't matter, it just doesn't matter". At the end of the day they will work it out.

 

[cstronks]

Looks good to me! They normally figure it out and it looks like your birds have caught on. Having some adult to look up to certainly speeds the process!

 

[Swiftbow]

Thanks everybody... they certainly got through the night just fine and were roosting again tonight. Our pullets were sleeping on the floor again, though. They seem to go back and forth every other day. I guess they just can't make up their minds!