My birds don't roost?

[PearlyCat]

Hi,
I am the new owner of previously cage raised 18 week old hens. I think all they have ever known is the cage but not totally sure what kind of lifestyle they have experienced up till now. A few questions I have are:

-What age do birds start to roost? If mine have not started to roost yet, what can I do to encourage this behaviour?
-There are ramps up to two separate roost in the coop and both are at a reasonable angle, nothing too crazy, but the birds don't seem to know to go up them. I have added food scraps, and mash to try to entice them up it. Will they eventually make their way up?
-The nesting boxes are 18" off the ground, do I need a ramp or will they be able to jump/flap their way up to them?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Cheers

 

[1muttsfan]

You can try waiting until after dark, then picking them up and setting them on the roost. Your nestbox height should be fine, but if you wanted you could pick them up every once in awhile and just pop them in the nest box during the day. You also might consider putting a few fake eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes to encourage them to use them

 

[Spartan22]

My 5 week old chicks are already roosting since last week. I have a 2" x 4' pole raised 6" high in their brooder and they'd been on it since. So I guess they learn early. I 2nd 1muttsfan, you can physically put them up on the roost@night and they eventually catch on. I did that for my first batch of chicken last year, I didn't finish my coop until they are 3 months old. They were on one section of my coop on the floor for a while. So I had to physically take them up every night for a week. Good luck with you flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens instinctively want to roost on the highest thing available, but they are creatures of habit. They are also individuals. They don’t all act the same.

Are your chickens Silkies? Silkies can’t fly. Some do roost if they can get to up there but many Silkies are quite happy to sleep on the floor. There is nothing wrong with any chicken sleeping on the floor, it’s just that most like to roost.

How high are your roosts? They should be higher than the nests to encourage them to not sleep in the nests. How big is the coop? Do they have enough room to spread their wings and fly, both to get up and to get down? My full sized chickens have no problems jumping/flying up to my 5’ high roosts. Some use the top of the nests as an intermediate point to get up there but many just fly straight up. Most prefer to fly straight down instead of using that step, but not all. If you don’t have enough clear space for them to land without banging into walls, nests, feeders, waterers, or something else they may be reluctant to go to the roosts.

This doesn’t sound like your problem but sometimes when some roost and some don’t you have a bully on the roosts that are just brutal at bedtime. The weaker ones try to find a safer place to sleep and do not go to the roosts. This especially happens during integration.

Some people will tell you that you have to use a 2x4 with the flat side up to get them to roost. Others are equally adamant that you need to use something round like tree branches. In my experience people care about this a lot more than the chickens do. Having something at least 1-1/2” is good. Their feet are fairly big and that gives them something to grip, though I’ve seen them roost on things much smaller.

My brooder raised chicks normally start to roost at 10 to 12 weeks. I have had some broods that started about 5 weeks, others that waited a whole lot longer than 12 weeks. I’ve had a broody hen take her chicks to the roosts at two weeks though most wait a little longer. Each brood is different.

I agree with 1muttsfan. After they settle in for the night put them or at least a couple on the roosts. It helps if the coop is fairly dark. It may happen quickly or it may take some repetition but eventually one will start to go to the roosts. Usually when one does the rest soon follow. Usually, not always. When they start, they will either fly straight up or use the ramps, whichever they decide to do.

18” nest height should not cause any problems for the hens getting in them. But if you wish you can put a perch of some type just outside the nest so they can hop/jump/fly up there and then step into the nests or build them a ramp. It won’t hurt if you have room but it should not be necessary. I also agree that putting a golf ball or some type of fake egg in there helps teach them where to lay.

I think the main problem with yours is that they have not learned to roost so they are in a habit of sleeping on the floor. They may learn on their own but setting them on the roosts won’t hurt a thing as long as they have room to get themselves down.

 

[rainbowhatchery]

They eventually figure it out and honestly some just dont like to. I have several adult hens that still dont roost. I think alot depends on their brooding as well if there was a small roost when they were little or they just huddled.

 

[PearlyCat]

Thanks Everyone. Last night 3 ventured up a short ramp to get to the higher roost, so it seems they are catching on the the ramps, and it appears they stay on the roost most of the night after I place them there based on the amount of droppings on the roost shelf. I found one chilling in the nesting box today, so they seem to be figuring things out. Your advice and expertise is much appreciated!
Cheers