Roo? And how to teach to roost in coop?

[MiksMom]

I have 12 pullets, from 4 - 6 weeks old. I'm wondering if one of my RIR's is a Roo...

With his(?) leading lady.

How do I teach them to go to roost in the coop at night? I'm unplugging their light during the day because it's been 95*+ and they choose to spend their time outside. With putting my human kids to bed I forget to plug the light back in until about 830-9. by then it's dark, but not cold - maybe 80* and they are already huddled down together on the ground. Makes for an easy time to catch and put into coop, lol. but I want them to do it themselves!

pl ease excuse lack of caps, funky spacing and any typos. this is hard to use on my phone!

 

[can you hear me now?]

At first you will have to get the routine going. Once it is they will go in on their own and roost. Chickens are not much for change of routine so they will get used to it and keep with it after awhile. There is no set time period but I know you will be happy when they do. I know I was the first time. It helps when you have some that already are in routine so if you keep your flock up they will follow suit. Sure looks like a cockerel to me in that top picture. Same in next one. Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[sillycmoy]

My 9 week olds still don't roost, they all huddle in a chick pile in a corner in the coop. It did take about a week for them to figure out that when its dark to go inside. I would go out at dusk and have to put them all in. I do have food and water in my Coop, so they are used to go inside for food and water, and now since they have figured it out, they have food and water outside as well, plus free range during the day. They will get it.

 

[MiksMom]

Ok. tomorrow I will keep their food in the coop only. I've been feeding both in and out. I'm going to go herd them in to the under-coop enclosure soon. see if from that close proximity to the coop, they'll put themselves to bed.

so, is the consensus a lil cockerel on that one RIR?

 

[MiksMom]

Yeah! it worked! they were NOT happy to be contained under their coop tho...

 

[can you hear me now?]

Its all in a days work

 

[azygous]

Getting them to go into the coop at night on their own and getting them to roost on their perch are two separate issues. To get them to think of the coop as sleeping shelter, the easiest way to accomplish that is to close them up in the coop for a day or two and not let them out. When you do let them out, they'll have become used to thinking of the coop as home and should be happy to return to it at dusk.

To get them to roost, wait until dark or almost dark, and then place them on the perch. Do this each night until they begin doing it on their own. You can teach baby chicks to perch in their brooder in this manner and they'll be perch trained by the time they move to the coop.

 

[MiksMom]

thank you for the advice! They all had roosts in their brooders, in the run and in coop, of course. They play on them, and some sleep on them.

Last night I was about 20 minutes too late to herd them under the coop to go up the ladder/ ramp. They were NOT happy to be pushed blindly, lol. After I pushed them under the coop, I had to reach thru the pop door to lift them up onto the ramp. Then they were willing to come into the coop, and of course decided they were wide awake, and starving!

When is it ok to turn their light out at night? it's about 60-65* overnight, 95+*during the day.

 

[khoe]

I hear of a lot of people having trouble with these. I guess I lucked out and didn't even know it. My chicks only got left out because I went to bring them back inside one night and they had gone in their coop already, so I just closed the door. They have out themselves away every night since then. Mine roosted in the brooder, but in the coop with no light they were cooler and slept huddled in the nesting box, and I meant to block it off but didn't eat around to it. Eventually they started sleeping on the roost though because I hear them hopping down every morning. I think they may still at 10 weeks old go and snuggle in the nest box before getting on the roost, but that's ok with me.

 

[azygous]

Being permissive with chicks and letting them sleep in the nest boxes or wherever they want other than on the perches could backfire. Chickens, once they get into a habit, are loathe to change. Do you want them laying eggs in poopy nests? Then you'll have even more work cleaning the eggs, and the nest boxes. Try to think about the longer haul.

Chicks over six weeks old have all their feathers and are well able to regulate their body temperature, no longer needing a heat lamp. But if you want to wean them off it, try substituting a night light for a while, especially while they're still learning to roost.