Roost Bars!

[colbye12]

When should I place a roost in for my baby chicks? Is there any need for a roost bar? THANKS!

 

[mcjessen]

We just put a 1" dowel in our brooder over the weekend. It was roughly 2.5' long. The girls are two weeks old. DH made a little ladder out of dowels too. They are using both roosts and loving them.

 

[BarefootMom]

I just put sticks in there...the girls love them! They are 2 weeks old.

 

[mistymeadowchicks]

I've got some baby roost bars (branch about 3" off the ground, attached to 2 x 4 blocks ) that mine were using before they were 2 weeks old. You'll find they like to perch on the waterer & feeder (& poop in them) or anything w/ a little height so probably the sooner the better.

 

[bburn]

We did not put one in our brooder last year when we first got our chicks. Am going to this year. Last year finally put a couple of boxes in they could get up on. They like a place they can get up on and survey their surroundings. Still the grown up chickens like having that.

 

[centrarchid]

I like to have roost in place by time chicks are 8 weeks of age. They are highly variable in terms of age when first used. For me, earlier use is better to keep birds from piling and sleeping in feces.

 

[birdstheword]

My 3 week olds have been using them. I use about about a 1 1/2" diameter tree branch. The Silky couldn't reach the highest (about a foot up) one so I made steps for her

 

[florida lee]

my chicks are 1 week old. I put a 1" dowel, fastened to a piece of 2x4 at each end so it is about 2.5" above the floor of the brooder box. the next morning two of the six had it figured out and were sitting on it. Don't know how many have tried it yet.

 

[centrarchid]

Most discussion here of "roost" bar is elevated location for chicks during daylight hours. Alternative is elevated location used at night.