Not Roosting ...

[thomas333]

I have six golden comets and during the day they sleep on the roost but then at night they all sleep in 1 nest box. Should I block the nest off or just let them be? Thanks!

 

[gardendufus]

I would block off the nest box. I had mine unavailable to the pullets until they were about 16 weeks old and I saw definite reddening of their faces and some of them started squatting. Not always a sure sign, but a good indicator they may be getting ready to lay.

Also, are your roosts higher than your nest boxes? How old are your birds? While mine were still young, wish I could remember, but I think until they were about 8-9 weeks old, they preferred sleeping in a group on the floor to actually roosting at night. They used the roost during the day, but not at night.

This is just my first flock, but that's the experience I had. It will surely vary (as everything seems to do) from flock to flock. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

ETA: Oops, just realized this is my second visit to this thread.

 

[Coopini]

That's awesome! Mine are 4 months and still sleeping in a pile. I wonder if they will switch over soon.

 

[gardendufus]

Wow, that seems a little old to me to still be sleeping on the floor, but then again, what do I know, like I said this is my first experience. How high are your roosts? What kind of birds do you have?

Altho I'm a believer in letting them get to everything in their own time, there are many on here that would tell you to go in after they have settled in for the night and place them on the roosts for a few nights in a row until they get the hang of it. If mine hadn't started by 4 months, I might have considered it.

Just like I was considering rubbing their bellies trying to force that first darn egg out.

 

[JohnBerry]

I built a small roost and put it in the brooder when they were 2 weeks old. They are now 6 weeks and some use it at night but they alternate with sleeping on the ground and in a bunch with the others. Most of them spend some time on it during the day. The string in the picture is for hanging a treat.

 

[thomas333]

They are 15-16 weeks old. Here is some pics of the coop. I have lowered the roost some since those pics. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/688733/hi

THANKS !

 

[lawatt]

just want to say thanks for this thread -- my pullets are 10-11 weeks old, & still sleeping in a pile -- will just watch them to see if/when they grow out of it!

 

[Gifa]

I put my girls out at 6 weeks, with no roost in the coop knowing full well that they wouldn't need it right away.

I did put a big 4x4 post on the floor of the coop for them in case they wanted to get up out of the bedding, but for the most part, they preferred to pile up on each other in the corner under the hanging waterer I have in there with them. The following week I went out into the woods behind my house and found a suitable "log" and trimmed it up to put up in the coop for a roost. When I put that up, I also put up a bunch of branches in the corner of their run at different levels. The highest branch was about the same height from the ground as the roosting log was from the floor of the coop. At first, none of them could actually make it up to the highest branch in a single bound, but they had all kinds of fun during the day hopping up there from the lower branches... until finally they figured out that those two flappy things on either side of their bodies were actually helpful in getting up there in a single bound. But still, for about 2 weeks they would just huddle in the corner of the coop at night just like they were doing in the brooder box. It was like they didn't even see the roosting log in the coop.

When they were 8 weeks old, I had just refilled the waterer in the coop, and my leghorn came into the coop to investigate... Suddenly... her head cocked to the side and she took on a general, "whoa... there's a log up there" expression... She finally noticed the roosting log in her coop and by golly, she was going to get up there to investigate that thing. She had all that practice out in the run, on those branches, and hopped right up there, no sweat. Well, let me tell you... when she did that, one of my Wyandottes and one of my Easter Eggers were in there... and it blew their little minds. Once that leghorn got up there, it wasn't long before the others wanted up there and sure enough... they all made a point to get up there on that roost... but they just were not interested in sleeping on it. They would always get back down and huddle in the corner for the night.

They did this for a whole week... until one night... one of them, jockeying for a better position I am sure, stood up in the middle of that pile and tipped that hanging waterer above them just enough to splash everyone. What a commotion! That night, rather than sleep in the wet spot, they all hopped up on that roost... and they've been there every night ever since. Interestingly, when they started roosting up there, they also started getting the hang of going in the coop for the night on their own. I have one of those automatic doors, and it literally wasn't until last week that they stopped lolly-gagging around and missing their chance to go in before that door closed and locked 'em out.

In another 6-8 weeks they'll start laying eggs for me. *sniff* They grow up so fast...

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I had a roost about 6" off ground in the brooder and as soon as they could fly up they were roosting, so I had a roost set up in coop and they have used it since day one. I think it is more what they are used to than anything else. But they do eventually prefer to roost.

 

[Chambertin]

I also put a mini-roost in the brooder area when they get to about 2-3 weeks old. So far everyone likes to use it, but the oldest soon to be hen absolutely insists on sleeping on the floor.
This creates some problems as she is used to letting the poo go all night long. You can imagine how her feathers are looking now.
Looking at the positive I'm hoping this means she'll be a good layer and possibly broody.

Also if they learn to roost early they will find anywhere and everywhere to try to roost day or night. Entertaining, or annoying you decide.
Personally I get a laugh at the odd places I've seen my cockerel sitting, but he always makes it back to the brooder at night.

I might add to the topic by asking if those who have had natural success with roosting use round or square rounded roosts.
All of mine have been round branches of some kind.