Need advice on nighttime roosting

[jenniferrose]

4 of my chicks know exactly where to roost. 1 always ends up in another spot pooping all in the nesting boxes. Any way I can encourage her to get on the roost with the others? (And there is plenty of room for them all - the picture doesn't show the whole thing and they are usually way down towards the end opposite the boxes):

Thoughts?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I would gently place the chick on the roost every night for a while. You could also add curtains over the boxes.

 

[nchls school]

4 of my chicks know exactly where to roost. 1 always ends up in another spot pooping all in the nesting boxes. Any way I can encourage her to get on the roost with the others? (And there is plenty of room for them all - the picture doesn't show the whole thing and they are usually way down towards the end opposite the boxes):





Thoughts?

Is it always the same spot away from the others? If so, put something there so that it is not a desirable spot to roost. If your birds are tame, go later in the evening when the chickens are going to roost and put the loner where you want it to roost. She/he may get the idea quickly. You may find that there is a reason why the loner roosts alone. Maybe being forced off the roost by a bully. Does he/she have problems flying/getting around?

 

[jenniferrose]

She is super tame - they all are (that what happens when they are raised by 7 and 10 year olds). I will try and move her at night. I had thought of that but didn't think it could be that simple.

She doesn't seem to have bullying issues as she is one of the more dominant ones when they are out in the run during the day. There is 1 other that I think may be the top of the pecking order but no one is overtly a bully/being bullied and the other one.... these 2 actually snuggle up when laying outside together.

And yes, she always sleeps at the same spot each night.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

It may take several nights. I've had some figure it out after a few days and one that took weeks, but eventually it worked. Good luck

 

[jenniferrose]

Thanks! I put her up there last night and she stayed (or at least was still there when we went to bed). I think part of her problem... is that they jump up on to the roosting bar and I think she was getting there last so just walking up the ramp and staying where she landed.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

When I moved my first batch to the coop they all slept in the run. Then they would all sleep on the floor haha I gave them time to figure it out, but they just didn't get it. So for about a week I started putting them on the roost and voila they got it.