How to get chickens to sleep on roosting stick??

[HannahL]

Hi all! So I moved this past February and my girls, of course, came with me. I have four hens and I purchased a new coop for them when I moved. However, right off the bat, they didn’t roost on the roosting stick at night. I figured I’d give them a couple weeks to settle in and they’d roost eventually, but it’s been months and they still insist on sleeping on the ground. Ive gone out a few nights in a row and manually placed them there, but they won’t do it themselves and one of them will even jump off in the dark. The coop is clean and the roosting stick is not too high. I never had any issues with them roosting at my old house/coop. Does anyone have any tips on how to get them to sleep on the roosting stick??

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of your set up?

Is this new coop identical to the old one, or different? Do the birds go into the coop at all? is the coop well-lit and well ventilated at sunset so they can see inside, and want to stay inside?

 

[HannahL]

Photos of your set up?

Is this new coop identical to the old one, or different? Do the birds go into the coop at all? is the coop well-lit and well ventilated at sunset so they can see inside, and want to stay inside?

Hi! I can attach a photo tomorrow, but the coop is different from my old one. I always bring them in about 30 mins - 1 hour before sunset so it is light enough for them to see. The coop is well lit and ventilated. I am in the process of getting a ramp installed, but right now I just have to sort of manually pick them up at night and take them out in the morning so I’m not sure if they would hop in on their own. But they seem pretty comfortable in the coop besides the roosting problem.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Oh, there's no ramp or steps to get in yet?

I'll be interested in seeing how the roosts are set up, and if possible see if you can snap photos of the inside around late afternoon or sunset so we can get a good look at how well lit it is inside.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Photos could certainly help a lot, both outside the coop and inside. How old are your girls and what breed are they? They are not some that can't fly, like Silkies, are they?

Chickens are creatures of habit. When you moved them they had to learn new habits. Sounds like you need to do some training. I do that by locking them in the coop at night until they start going in on their own. Sometimes they learn fairly quickly. sometimes it can take two or even three weeks. Each group is different.

I personally don't care where they sleep as long as it is predator safe and not in my nests. It seems to be important to many people that they actually roost but I leave that up to them. If they want to, they will sleep on the roosts. Setting them on the roosts after it is really dark is one way to train them to sleep up there earlier than they normally would on their own. But that doesn't always happen overnight.

Usually with things like this it is not that they can't, they just don't want to. Young chicks have no problems flying up to my roosts when the broody hen tells them to. If raised without a broody they may fly up there during the day to play but still sleep on the floor until they are 2 to 3 months old.

I always bring them in about 30 mins - 1 hour before sunset so it is light enough for them to see. The coop is well lit and ventilated.

So you don't know if they will go in the coop on their own when it turns dark, you bring them in earlier. Your complaint is that they won't roost, not that they don't go in on their own.

I am in the process of getting a ramp installed, but right now I just have to sort of manually pick them up at night and take them out in the morning so I’m not sure if they would hop in on their own. But they seem pretty comfortable in the coop besides the roosting problem.

So your coop is elevated. I have more problems getting mine to go into an elevated coop than one on the ground. I don't use a ramp. Once mine are trained to sleep in the coop they have no problems flying up on their own, it's a case of want to, not ability. But I'll mention photos again, they might help a lot.

 

[HannahL]

Photos could certainly help a lot, both outside the coop and inside. How old are your girls and what breed are they? They are not some that can't fly, like Silkies, are they?

Chickens are creatures of habit. When you moved them they had to learn new habits. Sounds like you need to do some training. I do that by locking them in the coop at night until they start going in on their own. Sometimes they learn fairly quickly. sometimes it can take two or even three weeks. Each group is different.

I personally don't care where they sleep as long as it is predator safe and not in my nests. It seems to be important to many people that they actually roost but I leave that up to them. If they want to, they will sleep on the roosts. Setting them on the roosts after it is really dark is one way to train them to sleep up there earlier than they normally would on their own. But that doesn't always happen overnight.

Usually with things like this it is not that they can't, they just don't want to. Young chicks have no problems flying up to my roosts when the broody hen tells them to. If raised without a broody they may fly up there during the day to play but still sleep on the floor until they are 2 to 3 months old.


So you don't know if they will go in the coop on their own when it turns dark, you bring them in earlier. Your complaint is that they won't roost, not that they don't go in on their own.


So your coop is elevated. I have more problems getting mine to go into an elevated coop than one on the ground. I don't use a ramp. Once mine are trained to sleep in the coop they have no problems flying up on their own, it's a case of want to, not ability. But I'll mention photos again, they might help a lot.

Hi! Here are some photos. Three of my hens are 3 years old and one of them is 5. I have a Wyandotte, Orpington, RIR, and a partridge olive egger. They can all fly. I had an elevated coop before and they had no problem jumping up. And yes, it’s strange since they will go on roosting stick during the day, but won’t sleep on it at night

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Hi! Here are some photos. Three of my hens are 3 years old and one of them is 5. I have a Wyandotte, Orpington, RIR, and a partridge olive egger. They can all fly. I had an elevated coop before and they had no problem jumping up. And yes, it’s strange since they will go on roosting stick during the day, but won’t sleep on it at night

is your day time roost stick higher than the night time roost?

 

[HannahL]

is your day time roost stick higher than the night time roost?

No it’s the same height.

 

[3KillerBs]

If that's the same plastic feeder I have, and I think it is, it's a foot wide and the roost is only half that width from the wall.

You'll want to move that roost out about a foot from the wall to give the birds room for their tails.

 

[HannahL]

If that's the same plastic feeder I have, and I think it is, it's a foot wide and the roost is only half that width from the wall.

You'll want to move that roost out about a foot from the wall to give the birds room for their tails.

The roost is like nailed to the wall so I’m not sure how to do that