How to train chickens to roost at night?

[horselover1999]

I have four 16 week old cochins, two red sex-links, and four 10 week old silkies. At night, they go into the coop and huddle in the corner. I have only found them on the roost by themselves two times and that was when the cochins and reds were about 10 weeks old. I have put them all on the roost each night and they immediately fly down. When will their instincts kick in and/or how can I train them?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

That is normal for chickens when they are still "teenagers" from my experience. Some really take a few months to desire to roost.

I would let them decide when to roost. They will be fine.

 

[junebuggena]

It's one of those things that they have to decide to do, you can't force them. Eventually, they will use the roosts. Having a few roosts at different heights can help encourage them. The roosts also need to be wide enough for their feet to be flat, usually about 4 inches wide.

 

[horselover1999]

Thank you. I have heard that silkies and cochins aren't big on roosting anyways.

 

[azygous]

Silkies are probably always going to want to sleep in a pile on the floor since they lack the flight feathers necessary for lifting themselves up off the floor. Cochins, like Brahmas, are heavy breeds, and are disinclined to use high perches. They react to perches just a few inches off the floor with much more interest.

To get young chicks to remain on the perch, don't place them on the perch until close to dark. Then place them close together and touching. This reassures them and they're more likely to remain. Also, chicks respond to your hand placed gently on their backs by calming down and wanting to remain on the perch.

Don't push it beyond two minutes each night, but it shouldn't take more than two or three nights of this training and they should roost on their own.

 

[horselover1999]

Thank you so much! I wasn't expecting the silkies to roost but I was expecting the red sex-links instincts to kick in. They are the boss hens so if I train them the cochins will most likely learn from them? They seem to follow that logic.