Roost behaviour-anyone ever watched them?

[Wyorp Rock]

They are young still, so like to group/nestle. Once they get a bit of age on them, they will start to establish themselves more.

Mine latest batch is around 16wks and they just now are becoming more comfortable roosting with the big girls. A couple still try to venture to the grow out pen to roost. I have to remember to close of that area at night, if not, I end up with one Australorp in there (hmmm....maybe those Aussies are a stubborn lot)

 

[User395221]

They are young still, so like to group/nestle. Once they get a bit of age on them, they will start to establish themselves more.

Yes, I'm not even sure they were 12 weeks when I got them. They haven't any development of their combs and wattles yet. It's also quite chilly at the moment. They are fully feathered, but as they are small in size, they might be warmer snuggling.

I'm glad I got the 2, I was only looking at one to move in, one might have been traumatised. The 2 of them hang together and sleep together. They are separate from the other girls, but interestingly, when my dog chased them, they moved over to where their "sisters" were. Not right up next to them, but close enough.

I'm sure they'll fit in just fine when they are fully grown.

 

[nenebynature]

My littles (the First Ladies) loved roosting almost immediately once moved to their pen in the garage. Being fairly new to chickens, I disastrously put them in an open puppy pen Foolishly thinking thy would stay in. Long messy story short, They ended up roosting all over the garage, the higher the better. When I moved them out with the big girls, the First Ladies took to roosting like champs.

 

[User395221]

I've got another question, but it relates to this so I'll bump this thread.

The 2 little new girls were sleeping in one of the nest boxes. On the weekend, I cut out some artificial grass to line the (rollaway) nest box inserts. Ever since, there's been no poo in the one the little girls had been using. A-Ha! I thought. The change in lining did it, but then I noticed poo all over a cinder block I'd put in there to anchor a mouse bait tube (I had 2 storage bins in there, but I moved them out because the lids were getting pooed on since I put in the second roost - the mouse bait tube had been behind the bins, but after I took them out it needed a dedicated anchor). It would seem that they may be "perching" on the cinder block (it's long side flat to the floor, so it's not much off the floor).

Here's the question- do some birds like to stay down low always, or will they leap up onto the proper roosts when they get older? Does anyone have grown up chooks who like to sleep on the floor? Should I be looking at putting in a low roost for them? I've got a low (as in about a foot & a half off the ground) portable roost in the other run, maybe if I put that in the big girls' house, the little girls might use it?

 

[centrarchid]

Play hard ball with these birds. Go in at night and place them up in a proper roost a few feet up. Repeat for a few nights. Ground roosting is neither as safe nor clean as roosting up.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I've got another question, but it relates to this so I'll bump this thread.

The 2 little new girls were sleeping in one of the nest boxes. On the weekend, I cut out some artificial grass to line the (rollaway) nest box inserts. Ever since, there's been no poo in the one the little girls had been using. A-Ha! I thought. The change in lining did it, but then I noticed poo all over a cinder block I'd put in there to anchor a mouse bait tube (I had 2 storage bins in there, but I moved them out because the lids were getting pooed on since I put in the second roost - the mouse bait tube had been behind the bins, but after I took them out it needed a dedicated anchor). It would seem that they may be "perching" on the cinder block (it's long side flat to the floor, so it's not much off the floor).

Here's the question- do some birds like to stay down low always, or will they leap up onto the proper roosts when they get older? Does anyone have grown up chooks who like to sleep on the floor? Should I be looking at putting in a low roost for them? I've got a low (as in about a foot & a half off the ground) portable roost in the other run, maybe if I put that in the big girls' house, the little girls might use it?

Oh dear....
Do you have any photos in the inside of your coop?

I agree that you may need to place them on the roosting bars to encourage them to start roosting.
The older hens can be bossy and brutal to the youngsters. I think I remember you added another bar, but had a hen that wanted to keep that bar for herself and kept everyone off of it?

 

[User395221]

Oh dear....
Do you have any photos in the inside of your coop?

Not yet, but I can maybe take some. It's just a square room and there's a roost bar along 2 of the walls. The nest box is just a galvanised 2-box with rollaway trays in it.

I think I remember you added another bar, but had a hen that wanted to keep that bar for herself and kept everyone off of it?

Yes, there's one who seems bossy and nobody wants to sleep next to her, or she won't let anybody (She used to sleep up with the others - putting the extra roost seems to have made it worse because she can claim it as her own).

It's the middle of winter and it's been wet and cold, and I'm not inclined to go down there in the dark. Also, even if I put them up there, they might not stay if bossy boots shoves them off.

I've got another wall I could add another roost to, but I'm just wondering whether I should put it lower if those girls like being lower and not up so high. I'm not really sure how big they'll be when they are grown, they might end up huge and have no problem holding their own against bossy boots. (although size doesn't really matter, does it? Marcy is huge, and she's not in charge. )

 

[aart]

and I'm not inclined to go down there in the dark.

Yeah, but best to move bird to roost well after dark,
they're more likely to stay put and not be bothered by other birds.

Pics of inside of coop and roosts would definitely help.
You may be able to install a simple barrier that will help put bossy off.

 

[User395221]

Pics of inside of coop and roosts would definitely help.

Ok, I'll aim to do that. If I also take a photo at night with a flash to show where everyone is, would the flash freak them out?

 

[aart]

Ok, I'll aim to do that. If I also take a photo at night with a flash to show where everyone is, would the flash freak them out?

When take night pics I light them up with my head light first, which they are used to, the flash doesn't seem to bother them.