new coop..chickens don't want to use it

[wildwestcoast]

this is the setup I have minus the yellow ladder. I have put a ramp in there instead

 

[chkva]

View attachment 1773969 this is the setup I have minus the yellow ladder. I have put a ramp in there instead

Maybe put a ladder there instead... They might not like how steep the ramp is. Chickens can be quite picky sometimes. I know in the beginning when I first got my coop, my chickens were so picky but we worked out all the kinks after observing them for a few weeks. Now everything is working smoothly. It's all trial and error.

 

[wildwestcoast]

They probably just lived in a big area and slept on the floor... That's how a few of mine lived before I got them.

I did wonder. they must be in shock having their own little cottage to call home

 

[getaclue]

Give them time, and they will use the roosts.

 

[getaclue]

Yes, the roost should be slightly higher than the nest boxes.

 

[Criticalicious]

In addition to blocking off the nest box access and making roosts higher than the nest boxes, I went an extra step and picked mine up off the floor and stuck them on the roost bars at night. At least to give them the idea. A ramp helps if the roosts are extra high up.

 

[Criticalicious]

It took my latest batch of chicks exactly one night in the coop to realize they preferred sleeping on the roosts rather than balled up on the floor, because if they jump up on the roost, they can see out the window. They also had roosts in the brooder to practice on. I think it feels natural for chickens to sleep up high.

 

[wildwestcoast]

good idea..I even have a wooden box sitting right beside the coop I could use

 

[wildwestcoast]

Don't sweat the ladder/ramp thing. I raise a heavy breed of large fowl. My roosts are not very high up, but I had to treat one of my big roosters for bumblefoot. I decided to put in a ramp for them to get on, and off the roosts easier. Keep in mind, these are fully grown birds, not youngsters.

For the first couple nights, they would not even go into the coop with the monster that was going to eat them. It was summer, the run is enclosed, so not a big deal. For 2 days, I would put each one on the monster that was going to eat them, and while holding them with my hands, walk them up, and down the ramp a couple times. On the third night, they decided that they might live if they ran real fast past the monster that would eat them, and jump up onto their roost. A couple more times, I put the rooster on the monster that would eat them, walking him up, and down the ramp. I figured the hens would probably follow him. For the rest of the week, they ran past the monster that would eat them, jumped up on their roost, and lived.

At that point, I didn't care if they used the ramp, or not. I stopped trying to coax them, or train them to use it. About 3 days later, when I went out to feed them, lo and behold the rooster walked up the ramp onto the roost, followed by a hen. They stood on the roost to watch me. The following day, they were all using the ramp.

haha thanks for the chuckle! chickens are hilarious, sounds like they figure it out eventually!

 

[wildwestcoast]

Yes! I was hoping you haven't been chasing them on your hands and knees every night since you first posted!

As far as the roosts go, at first I took another board and leaned it against the perch so they could climb it like a ramp to the perch. The young pullets thought this was great fun. They didn't use it for sleeping initially but eventually they did and once they were bigger I took the board away.

Yes lol the only crawling around on my knees has been trying to get my daughters cat out from under the motorhome as we were trying to be on time for school this morning haha. But back to chickens..the roosts arent high. I'll take a pic tomorrow to show how I have them set up. Maybe it's just a chicken teenager thing?