Official BYC Poll: What Do You Do To Make Your Chicks/Pullets Roost?

[BigBlueHen53]

We have low roosts in the brooder so they are not snuggling on the floor. But at about 8 weeks when we integrate them with the older flock, there are no lower roosts so they do huddle on the floor for a couple of nights. After that we put them on the roosts for two or three nights, and they are like, "Oh, THERE it is!" After that they find their spot and they're fine. The roosts are about three feet up and I think they just don't see them right away.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

The instinct to roost is strong in most chickens. They want to be off the ground. If one or more chickens isn't roosting its usually due to one of three things.

--There is not enough roost space. Particularly true if you have some "roost hogs" who actively try to keep lower/younger chickens off them.

--There is a physical reason why your chicken doesn't want to roost -- too heavy for the height of the roost bars, bumble foot, not feeling well, etc.

--Your hen is broody.

Yeah, I’m considering renovating my roost space to accommodate five Brahma chicks. They love, love, LOVE the top roost bar, but I might lower everything so no one has to jump down more than about 12” at a time. Plus, the rest of my girls are three now, so maybe in the fall I’ll just lower the poop decks and roosts. The highest roost is about six feet off the floor and the lowest poop deck is about sixteen or eighteen inches off the floor.

 

[Sarahh_Janeyy]

When they first went outside, I put them on their roost every night until they figured it out on their own. It took maybe 2 weeks? The silked easter egger had a harder time, but I put a ramp up to the roost bars and a few of them use it sometimes.

 

[Frankiegirl]

My new 4 littles are 5 weeks old tomorrow. I put a baby roost in their brooder at 2 weeks and it only took them a couple of days to figure out. They are pretty smart that way. They are spending some time fenced off from the big girls and still sleep in their brooder. The plan is to have a mini roost for the little girls at night in the coop once they are in their full time until they figure out how to get to the big girl roost. It is shocking to see how naturally they find the roost.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

Mine sleep on the floor. They have shown ZERO desire to be higher up than ground level. They don't even climb on things during the day. They were roughly 5 or so months old when I got them this spring, so are 8-9 months old now.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

The instinct to roost is strong in most chickens. They want to be off the ground. If one or more chickens isn't roosting its usually due to one of three things.

--There is not enough roost space. Particularly true if you have some "roost hogs" who actively try to keep lower/younger chickens off them.

--There is a physical reason why your chicken doesn't want to roost -- too heavy for the height of the roost bars, bumble foot, not feeling well, etc.

--Your hen is broody.

Is "never had the option to roost young and now they don't give a damn" an option? LOL Mine were 5ish months old when I got them had have shown ZERO interest in roosting. They don't even get up on things during the day. They just keep both feet on the ground. (They are roughly 8-9 months old now.)

 

[PippinTheChicken]

My hen used to roost, she then went broody one time. after she was no longer broody, she still slept in the nest-box. There is plenty of coop space. I don't really mind where they sleep

 

[Lady Clucks-a-Lot]

First, I put the roost in, then I give them something delicious, let them taste it, let them have enough bites to get them love it and do anything to get more, and then I pull the treat to a height that they'll only be able to reach by standing on the roost, "encourage" them to get up by lowering the the treat just a little, than they go up! Works almost every time.

 

[LavenderMotherHen]

I’ve never had to teach any to roost. They’ve all done it naturally

 

[Xouie]

I didn’t even realize teaching them to roost was a thing. My brooders have perching bars because I just thought that’s what chickens do naturally.