Pullets wont roost

[dannyd21]

They say it gets easier after the first. Not these chickens. Round 2 of a new flock of chickens and so far they seem like a very happy but very stubborn flock. Had to force them under the heat pad when they were chicks. Refused to go back to coop when the sun was going down and just thug out the dark for like 2 months. Will jump on my head, shoulders, legs but run away when i try to pick them up. Now they're 3 months old and still not roosting! Its not that they don't love the roost they absolutely do and utilize the hell out of it in the day but won't roost for the night. They've collectively chosen a corner that they love dearly and sleep in said corner. So what do I do?

P.S. I have a flock of 5 chickens, 3 barred rocks and 2 buff Orrington's

 

[Ridgerunner]

Are they sleeping somewhere predator safe? If they are in danger you need to do something.

Most of my brooder raised chicks start roosting at around 10 to 12 weeks of age. This is in a coop away from the adults, the adults can bully them off of the roosts if they are around. I've had some start as young as 5 weeks, I've had some go longer than 12 weeks. Personally as long as they are sleeping somewhere predator safe and not in my nests I don't care where they sleep. If they ever want to roost they will if they have the opportunity.

 

[kattabelly]

Are they sleeping somewhere predator safe? If they are in danger you need to do something.

Most of my brooder raised chicks start roosting at around 10 to 12 weeks of age. This is in a coop away from the adults, the adults can bully them off of the roosts if they are around. I've had some start as young as 5 weeks, I've had some go longer than 12 weeks. Personally as long as they are sleeping somewhere predator safe and not in my nests I don't care where they sleep. If they ever want to roost they will if they have the opportunity.

Agreed.

I've had them start roosting overnight at anything from 4 to 16+ weeks, and some adults that chose to sleep out on the ground when the weather allowed.

 

[dannyd21]

Are they sleeping somewhere predator safe? If they are in danger you need to do something.

Most of my brooder raised chicks start roosting at around 10 to 12 weeks of age. This is in a coop away from the adults, the adults can bully them off of the roosts if they are around. I've had some start as young as 5 weeks, I've had some go longer than 12 weeks. Personally as long as they are sleeping somewhere predator safe and not in my nests I don't care where they sleep. If they ever want to roost they will if they have the opportunity.

Definitely predator safe. They're more on the paranoid side compared to my first flock but as for them feeling like they're in danger of a predator it's definitely not the cause since the only predators around as of late are birds of prey but they've never made an attempt or even got close for the hens to know they exist.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are they sharing a coop with adults or are all 5 pullets? Have you tried manually placing them on the roost once it's completely dark and if so, what do they do?

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Ours grew up together and for almost a year they just slept in the pine shavings, as they did when they were chicks. Like yours they used roosts during the day but not at night. Putting them on the roosts at night made no difference, they'd hop down and go to the pile.

Slowly they started using the roosts on their own at night and now everyone roosts at night. They move around a bit and some snuggle down into the pine shavings now and then but everyone uses the roosts.

If they're in a safe place that's warm and dry, maybe it's okay that they don't roost for now? They'll eventually figure it out on their own.

 

[BDutch]

In the past I helped a few pullets/cockerels to get the idea if they didn’t roost by themselves, by putting them on the roost at night, a few days in a row. After this training course they hopped on themselves.

It didn’t work when they got bullied by older hens. The pullets need a roost in another part of a big coop or in another coop if they get bullied.

 

[Debbie292d]

We've integrated 4-6 month old silkies probably a dozen times. I used to go put them on the roosts for a few nights and most times that worked. In cases where they were the younger side, they stayed huddled by the door so they could be the first ones out I figured. I just leave those be. As they got older they eventually went up to roost.

It just takes time, as eventually, in the end, they always end up roosting somewhere other than the floor.

 

[BDutch]

We've integrated 4-6 month old silkies probably a dozen times. I used to go put them on the roosts for a few nights and most times that worked. In cases where they were the younger side, they stayed huddled by the door so they could be the first ones out I figured. I just leave those be. As they got older they eventually went up to roost.

It just takes time, as eventually, in the end, they always end up roosting somewhere other than the floor.

I have been reading Silkies rarely go to roost by themselves.

 

[Debbie292d]

I have been reading Silkies rarely go to roost by themselves.

Like I said, some take time, as in several weeks or even a month or two in some cases. It depends on how old. The ones that are 5-6 months old may spend one night on the floor, but by the next will usually climb the ramp and go right up.