Is roosting really Mandatory?

[Lisa Wood]

My name is Lisa, and I am addicted to chickens. I have ten five week old pullets. Last two nights they all went into coop for bed, alone. Im so thrilled, because before that I wrangled them about an hour before bedtime.
Now I think next is teaching them to roost. Right now they sleep like a bunch of puppies in the shavings. What will happen if they dont roost?
I ask because the coop is not the walk in kind, so I cant really get to them when they are in the coop.

Lisa

 

[bobbi-j]

Roosting is an instinctive behavior - you shouldn't have to teach them. IThey will figure it out, just give them time. At this age, they generally huddle like a pile of puppies. In all my years of raising chickens, I have never "taught" chickens to roost, and yet they all ended up doing it sooner or later.

 

[islandgirl82]

Roosting is an instinctive behavior - you shouldn't have to teach them. IThey will figure it out, just give them time. At this age, they generally huddle like a pile of puppies. In all my years of raising chickens, I have never "taught" chickens to roost, and yet they all ended up doing it sooner or later.

x2

 

[Lisa Wood]

Thankyou! Thats what I thought too! Then I had two people tell me to teach them. "Just keep putting them up over and over where you want them " was what I remember. From thus list, and employee from TS.

 

[amynrichie]

Thankyou! Thats what I thought too! Then I had two people tell me to teach them. "Just keep putting them up over and over where you want them " was what I remember. From thus list, and employee from TS.

the only thing I have to teach is WHERE to roost. "No, for the 8th night in a row, you have to roost IN the coop, not in the yard like wild birds." My current Littles are stubborn!

 

[bobbi-j]

I would take that to mean, "If you want them roosting in the cool at night, make sure they go in, have roosts available, and let them work out the rest."

ETA - referring to the "Just keep putting them up over and over" comments.

 

[donrae]

the only thing I have to teach is WHERE to roost. "No, for the 8th night in a row, you have to roost IN the coop, not in the yard like wild birds." My current Littles are stubborn!

This

I have 13 week old birds that are still sleeping in the puppy pile. Not a problem, they'll get the hang of it eventually. I personally don't care where they sleep.

 

[Mrs. K]

do not add nesting boxes, or block off the nesting boxes until they roost on the poles. Otherwise they will roost in the nests and as they poo all night, the nest quickly become icky, and the eggs will be covered. And their legs and bums will be covered in poo. I think roosting birds have cleaner bums, as the fecal material falls away from the bird.

Mrs K

 

[Lisa Wood]

do not add nesting boxes, or block off the nesting boxes until they roost on the poles. Otherwise they will roost in the nests and as they poo all night, the nest quickly become icky, and the eggs will be covered. And their legs and bums will be covered in poo. I think roosting birds have cleaner bums, as the fecal material falls away from the bird.

Mrs K

Well this raises another related question for me. If I know Broodies hold it many hours till break time, to avoid pooping on little babies, then do they poop all night in their sleep? I may see a few more piles where they sleep, but thats also where the night time window is, and they are there sleeping, watching in am, etc. My Gofin Cockatoo doesnt poo while sleeping. And because I know this, I expect parrot impersonating chicks not to poop on me when they ask to get on my shoulders.
New Addict Lisa

 

[Mrs. K]

A broody hen is a different bird due to hormones. As she broods, she leaves the clutch and has a gigantic stinky poop about once a day. After the chicks have hatched mine have always created a new nest on the floor, that is clean, each evening as she calls the chicks in, I see her scratch around in her nest, breaking down the poo. I agree, that I seldom see big poops there, just the little tiny ones of the chicks.

My broodies, have always gotten her chicks to roost with the flock at about 3-4 weeks. They still snuggle between her and usually the rooster. At that time all of there dropping fall to the floor and the floor nest is abandoned. Soon, the chicks will roost with the flock, but as a subgroup, and the broody period is over.

I am not experienced with parrots at all, and I don't have my chicken perch on me, but if I did, I would expect to pooped on. I have read no other evidence or seen any evidence that birds control their elimination.

Mrs K