How to get my 5 week old chicks to roost??

Date sort Score sort
Chiefmaster30

Chiefmaster30

Hatching
Apr 20, 2015
7
1
9
Manchester, Tn
I just took my 5 week old chicks from brooder to outside coop 2 days ago. Will it help if I bought a couple adult hens and put out there with them? They ain't going in to roost. I'm having to get them out of there pile to put them in the coop every night so far.
 
Hello all! I'm Carl from Manchester, Tn. I just started raising chickens 5 weeks ago. I'm looking forward to many of yalls very helpful information and input and advice.
 
No adult hens would probably beat them senseless - young and mature need to be integrated carefully or old and new birds. What breeds do you have? Maybe they aren't athletic enough to reach the roosts yet. How high are they? You aren't the only person who has this problem. Usually chicken folks put the birds up on roost one by one for a few nights till the chicks figure it out. Once lights are out -birds so no want to move in the dark. So they should stay on roosts and you can shut them up for security.
 
New Hampshire reds, buff Orpington and wyandottes.and a couple Easter eggers I think. Problem is I one by one put them on the roosts and by the time I get two or 3 up there. They start jumping off the roost
 
Hi Carl, welcome to BYC!

Nice to have you join us. I was wondering too how high off the ground floor are your roosts? You may need to lower them a bit.

Good luck to you, keep working with the girls, they'll get it!
 
welcome-byc.gif
glad you have joined us.

I agree with drumstick diva and NorthFlChick. Keep them separated from the elders until a little older and you can integrate the flock. Make sure the roosts are not too high - 18-24 " should work for the breeds you have. IMO the main thing is to teach them to go into the coop at dusk and let them decide to roost or floor sleep until they get the idea. It is their nature to prefer to roost and they will figure that part out. I would just place them in the coop, shut them in. And let them out in the mornings. If they don't start going in on their own after a couple of days, place a light in the coop - turn it on at dusk and they will likely go in when it gets dark outside. Then shut them in and turn off the light. This worked for me with BO's and BR's at the same age as yours. After a week they would go in and roost without any light or assistance.

If you try this and are still having problems, then I would post a pic of your coop/roosts under raising baby chickens or managing your flock.

Good luck with all.
 
Chiefmaster30 said:
There approximately 12-15" lowest one and 2nd one up is 18-24"
Click to expand...
They should be able to access those by themselves. They just haven't learned to go in to roost yet, please try the light. If you can set it up with a remote on and off it will be easier to turn off once they settle in. After we did this, there was only one evening about their 3rd day they didn't go in. I had cameras in and around the coop and knew they were huddling under the coop that night. Went out to explore the reason and I had shut the chicken door during coop cleaning that day…and as soon as I opened it, they shuttled up the ramp and jumped on the roost.
 

Similar threads

W
    • Like
Roost Training
Replies
1
Views
309
Mother of Chaos
Mother of Chaos

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom