how to train the chicks to move up into the roost at night?

[jokerone]

Have you tried putting a short roost in the brooder for them when they are still young?

No, it was a large tub where the six of them were. they have pretty much out grown it. Was no room for it. But I probably should have.

thanks.

 

[jokerone]

thanks for all the help.

I'll see what happens this week.

 

[centrarchid]

Chicks / young juveniles in this case are likely a little young, especially if temperatures low for them. Adult acting as a guardian (i.e. broody hen) can expedite process.

 

[hannahrachel]

When I first got chickens, I was very concerned that they weren't roosting at night! I felt like mine were duds, and would always ignore the nice roost I made for them in favor of the floor.

Just stick it out! They started hopping up on the roosts shortly before they started laying--the only one who sleeps on the floor now is my half-blind Dominique roo... only because he has no balance and can't stay up that high without falling :O

Keep us posted! I'm sure things will turn out better soon.

 

[jokerone]

When I first got chickens, I was very concerned that they weren't roosting at night! I felt like mine were duds, and would always ignore the nice roost I made for them in favor of the floor.

Just stick it out! They started hopping up on the roosts shortly before they started laying--the only one who sleeps on the floor now is my half-blind Dominique roo... only because he has no balance and can't stay up that high without falling :O

Keep us posted! I'm sure things will turn out better soon.

we shoved them up into the the roost last night with the heat lamp on. The low last night was 52. They came out on their own this morning. I'm going to buy some scratch today and put some on the steps and in the roost for them. lets see if this helps. If not I'll just wait and see what happens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Jokerone, are you talking about them sleeping on the actual roosting poles or just going into an elevated coop at night? I’m not really sure?

I raise my brooder-raised chicks in my permanent brooder built into the main coop. Normally around 5 weeks of age I move them to a separate elevated unheated grow-out coop and leave them locked in that coop for about a week. At about six weeks, I open the door of the elevated grow-out coop to let them into their own private run. At bedtime, I go out to check on them. Usually some make it back up to the grow-out coop but some are sleeping in a pile on the ground under the door of that elevated coop. I just toss the ones sleeping on the ground inside the coop and lock the door. Sometimes it only takes once to get them trained to go into the coop at night, but I’ve had a couple of stubborn ones that I had to do that for about two weeks every night to get them trained, even though their buddies caught on pretty quickly. If you wait until it is dark they are pretty easy to catch. I don’t worry about stressing them out when I toss them inside. I want them feel sleeping outside the coop is not especially safe.

My last group was pretty funny. The first night all 17 were sleeping on the ground that first night so I tossed them in. The next evening I was a little early going down there so it was still pretty much light. They were all on the ground again but when they saw me coming they all hopped inside. I never had a problem with them again.

I have a practice perch in my permanent brooder. They are normally playing on that at just a few days old but they sleep together in a corner of the brooder. I have had some brooder raised chicks start roosting at night on the roosts as early as 5 weeks of age, when I first move them to the grow-out coop, but a more normal average is 10 to 12 weeks of age before they start sleeping on the roosts. They play on the roosts during the day but they sleep together on the floor. They have a practice perch from the time I put them on the brooder. I normally move them back into my main coop around 12 weeks of age.

My broody raised chicks start sleeping on the roosts a lot earlier. I have seen a broody take her chicks to the roosts as early as two weeks, but four weeks of age is probably more normal. Occasionally a broody will wean her chicks before she teaches them to roost. Then they act more like brooder raised chicks as far as roosting.

I don’t worry about when they start spending the night on the roosts but there is one reason you might want yours roosting before they start laying, especially with your first chickens with no adults present. Sometimes chickens want to sleep in the nests instead of on the roosts. There can be a lot of different reasons for that, but those reasons are another topic. If they are going to sleep in the nests instead of on the roosts, I want to know that before they start laying so I can do something about that before I get poopy eggs. I want the nests open before they start to lay so they learn to lay in the right place. Mine occasionally spend a few nights in the nests while they are transitioning to the roosts. If they have learned to roost on the roosts before you open the nests, there is a lot less chance they learn to sleep in the nests.

Since I always have hens laying in the main coop, my nests are never closed. To help the juveniles transition to the main roosts I put a separate roost about a foot lower than the main roosts and off to the side and over the nests to help them transition to the main roosts without using the nests. It works most of the time. I have had pullets six months old and laying eggs still use that juvenile roost instead of moving to the main roost.

Chickens are all different. I do want them sleeping inside the coop so I can safely lock them up, but as long as they are not using the nests, they will roost when they roost.

 

[jokerone]

Jokerone, are you talking about them sleeping on the actual roosting poles or just going into an elevated coop at night? I’m not really sure?

Elevated coop. Its the second floor. the first floor is the ground under it.

This looks quite a bit like it. but this isn't it. Hope it helps visualize the coop. thanks.

 

[farmgirl89]

I didn't have room in my brooder either so i moved them into their permanent coop at 4 weeks, so they had more room, and put the heat lamp out there. I put up a perch 6 inches off the ground and they play around it and perch on it during the day but roost in a pile on the ground still. They will eventually get it. I have a rooster that sleeps on the floor half the time, but then again he sleeps next to the mirror in there and thinks that his reflection is another chicken.

 

[jokerone]

making progress.

I put some scratch on the ramp and in the coop, and my wife decided to put them up there, and 3 of them took the hint and made it up t here on their own. (that's 50% success.. )

 

[marchick]

Well I'm no one to give advice.I had one last year that would not go on the roost.I would go out every night and she would come and stand on my feet and stretch her neck out looking up at the roost till I would pick her up and put her on the roost.I did this from the time she was 6 weeks old till she was about 4 months old.My friends would laugh when I told them I had to get home and put my chicken to bed.