Integration and when will the chicks use the roost

[Justicedog]

I've moved my 9 week old chicks out to the now divided coop. The 3 old hens are on one side (with access to the run) and the 5 - 9 weeks chicks are on the other side. The old hens seen to be very vocal and seem to do their best to avoid the coop, they'll go in to roost and one to lay, with another to pretend to lay. I've not seen any interaction between the new chicks and the hens in the 3 days they've been there. The hens have been very vocal any time I come out and while I was sectioning off the coop. I took it as they're ticked off at this disruption to t heir lives.

The new chicks are sleeping dog pile style on the floor, as close into the nesting box as they can get (I've got cardboard blocking most of it, but need to redo to make it better).

When will they go up to the roost? The roost is 30" from the floor, 28-29 to the wood shavings. They've jumped 25" up to the brooder sides before, I don't see it being too high for them. Should I give them some sort of a ladder? There's a ladder attached to the other side of the coop, but I don't really know the old girls use it.

Should I be putting them up on the roost, or just let them be and they'll figure it out on their own? I'm happy to have a place to hang the feeder and water from and if they go up to the roost, I'll have to figure some other way to hang it. I'm really enjoying them not getting filled with wood shavings now that they're hanging.

I figure that I'll keep them separated, inside the coop for a week, then see if I can make some sort of mini run for them to come and go from the people door, but still separate from the old girls.

I have a fear about the new chicks getting loose and not being able to catch them and get them back into the coop. This batch has been the most scared of the 3 batches of chickens I've had.

 

[azygous]

Don't you have a secure run? Chicks usually take their time venturing out away from coop and run until they sense they're large enough that a predator won't easily pick them off. Having a secure run allows them to be outside but to free range when they feel themselves ready.

Chicks often require being placed on the roosting perch before they get the idea that roosting is part of the daily plan. I teach my chicks to roost the same day I move them into the coop at age five weeks. They pick up the habit very quickly, often in just two nights.

It's not required that your chicks roost. It's entirely up to you. I teach mine to roost because I can't stand the idea of them sleeping in big piles of their own poop and smelling like it.

 

[Justicedog]

Don't you have a secure run? Chicks usually take their time venturing out away from coop and run until they sense they're large enough that a predator won't easily pick them off. Having a secure run allows them to be outside but to free range when they feel themselves ready.

Chicks often require being placed on the roosting perch before they get the idea that roosting is part of the daily plan. I teach my chicks to roost the same day I move them into the coop at age five weeks. They pick up the habit very quickly, often in just two nights.

It's not required that your chicks roost. It's entirely up to you. I teach mine to roost because I can't stand the idea of them sleeping in big piles of their own poop and smelling like it.

The secure run is on the other side of the coop, the one with the old girls. I’ve not integrated them yet. I’m still doing the see but don’t touch. When they get integrated and I take the barrier down, they’ll have access to the big girl run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't worry about the roosting. I no longer teach my chicks to roost, as once they've integrated with the adults they've all followed them up onto the roosts.