Newer Chicks Not Roosting

[Keys Cluckers]

Eight weeks ago, I ordered six female Ameraucana chicks from McMurray Hatcheries. The good news was all six plus a bonus bird arrived perfectly healthy and have been far less of a pain than I anticipated. The less good news is that one has green legs and a few didn't fit the Ameraucana breed standards early on and with a little research, I learned that they are most likely all Easter eggers which is fine by me. I'm just happy to have such a variety of colors and the birds making an 1800 mile trip without a single lost bird is pretty awesome. It's hot here, so my girls got to go outside to their new coop with small attached run at about five weeks and love it outdoors. They are almost the size of my two adult cinnamon queens and have met one another through the fencing and today got to meet in person on neutral turf between the coops under close supervision. Everyone gets along great. It's been such a pleasant experience.

In a few more weeks, I plan to integrate the old and new crews into the older ladies' spacious coop and run. The only thing is, these little ladies don't roost at night. They sometimes play on the roosts in the daytime, but at night they chill in the nest boxes and sleep on the floor. Will my older hens teach the new ones? Do I need to put them on the roosts myself? They go into the coop at dusk...march right up the gangplank in orderly fashion, but just sleep on the floor. I don't want them sleeping in the nest boxes in the big coop because, well, they poop a lot.

What is the standard thing to do here?

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[rosemarythyme]

Once they're integrated with the adults they should follow them up onto the roost. If you have ample roost space you can also put them on the roost yourself (away from the adults), if you want to try and push them along.

I haven't had to cover nest boxes, I don't get chicks sleeping in them. But if that becomes an issue cover them late in the afternoon to keep the chicks out, then uncover once it's dark so the hens can use them the next morning.