Not sleeping on perches

[Fancypants1]

I have 9 week old hens and they are still not sleeping on the many perches I have in their coop. 2 are still in the corner and the rest are on top of the nesting boxes. Will they eventually start roosting at night?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They roost when they're ready. It looks like your nests are higher than the roosts. The roosts should be higher than the nests or they'll sleep in the nests since they'll eventually roost on the highest accessible thing.

 

[Fancypants1]

You can't really see from the angle of the picture but we do have a 2x4 we just added this past weekend. Actually it's the piece of wood at the top of the 1st picture with the knot showing, it's the same height of the top of the nesting boxes. they just need to learn that they can sleep on that too. The dowel you see is their way into the nesting boxes. So - they will figure it out in time I guess??

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They'll figure it out.

Another suggestion. The dowel is fine for this time of year but as winter approaches you'll want wider roosts. They should be at least 2 inches wide so they can cover their toes at night or they could get frostbitten. If you go in at night when it gets cool and you can see toes, the roosts aren't wide enough. Chickens aren't really perching birds anyway.

 

[Fancypants1]

Good point - I do have the 2x4's flat so the 4" side is where they would be able to roost during the winter and cover their toes with their bodies.

 

[ChickenPapaCT]

I'm new to this, but I have heard that chickens like to roost as HIGH as they can get. Looks like your nesting boxes are higher than your roost, so they are naturally going to head up to the top.

My guess is that the two on the ground are low on the "pecking order" and end up on the ground (although I would think they would make it to the perch).

If you block that area above the nesting boxes, they will probably all end up on the perch.

Mine haven't found the perch yet either, and seem to like the ground (although a couple of them have started roosting on the ramp to the perch).

 

[Fancypants1]

Yes, I just added a new perch that is as high as the top of the nesting box so maybe if I block off the top of the boxes they will move to the 2x4.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You could make the space above the nests a cabinet for dust free storage.

 

[soydo]

Yeah if you don't want them sleeping on the nest box you need to block it off. Problem is they might start sleeping IN the nest boxes. Chickens form habits and typically they are slow to change roosts once a pattern has been established. They are used to THAT location and after blocking, they probably will start 'hunting' for a way to roost as close to that location as possible. So, maybe block off the whole nest box thing to force them to form a new habit of sitting on something you think they should be.

The two on the floor are crested. It varies a lot between birds, some crested birds have a hard time with learning to roost off ground due to impaired vision especially if the light becomes too dark for them at roosting time. I've convinced some to start roosting off ground by trimming their crests or by repeated placing them on a roost until they 'get it'.

 

[subhanalah]

Only my two eldest silkoes have "gotten it" that they go to roost at night, I'm hoping when the younger ones get a bit bigger and older, they'll catch on as well. For now I pick them up every night from the corner they put themselves to sleep in and put them on the roost.