New chickens raised by me won't roost

[rosemarythyme]

The reason for doing it once it's completely dark is because they're less likely to jump off if they can't see.

 

[Weazerdogg]

Ahhh, never thought of that.

 

[Weazerdogg]

Here is the roosting spot. Next pic is the chicken doorway that can be shut, top is a window of double pane plexiglass. Last is the nesting box for 6 hens, four regular and an "open top" one on top, just put a railing around the top to hold the straw. Oh, and you can't see it very well but it does have a rough hewn lumber ceiling. I had had dowels on the steps up the ladder but read they don't really like the round roosts so changed it out to pieces of 1 X 2.

 

[febane]

Hello. I raised 4 chicks this Spring, to go with the 3 older hens (3 years old) I have after my 3 oldsters passed away this past winter. Got a rooster and 3 hens. Kept them in the house from March until first week of June, then acclimated them to the other 3 and there weren't any early issues, the 3 established hens didn't give them much grief, much less than they got 3 years ago when I had introduced them to the 3 older ones I had at the time. They've barely given the newbies any grief, maybe a peck or two when they are all gathered around some food, but not much else. But the 4 newbies, including the rooster, are still huddling together on the floor of the coop like they did when in the house as chicks, and the couple of times I've tried to put them on a roost they've freaked right out. There is one main beam about 3 feet off the ground that the older hens roost together on, but I've got a ladder roost going up to that, so if they didn't want to be next to the older hens they could do that, but they don't. I had put a couple little roosts, that I had lying around from previous caged pet birds, in their cage when they were chicks and I'd find them on those once in awhile but they don't at all now. Will they start roosting before Winter rolls around? I was hoping they'd all roost together by winter time, and the other hens would huddle around my previous rooster who passed Commercail window tinting. Really odd, like I said, the 3 older ones I have now roosted on their own without any issues and the older hens I had at the time gave them much more grief.

Thanks.

Your new chicks will likely start roosting on their own as they gain confidence and maturity. Since they were raised indoors, it’s normal for them to be hesitant at first. Keep providing safe roosting options like your ladder, and they should gradually settle into normal roosting behavior before winter.