Roost

[MileHigh]

I built a chicken palace and got my ladies moved in last weekend. So far they will not go onto either of the roosts to sit or sleep. I’m not sure if they will eventually figure it out of if I put the roosts too high up. They can easily get onto the lower roost by jumping on the water bucket then up to the roost. I have a higher roost with a poop tray but they haven’t even tried getting up there yet. Any suggestions?

 

[Kiki]

Can you post a picture of your set up?
They may actually be too high or ..well many other things.
It's hard to offer opinions with out "seeing it."

 

[luckied]

Definitely lots of reasons why they may not be and sometimes chickens just need someone to show them what to do. If they are young sometimes that just want the comfort of laying together in a pile and not side by side. Some of my older birds are just stubborn so after me placing them on the roosts nightly they eventually realize that's where they should be.
Good luck and posts those pics of it so others can give you suggestions.

 

[MileHigh]

 

[Kiki]

I would say it's too high.
Could you build a ladder/ramp for them?

 

[sktlmt]

Once it is dark go out and place them on the roost. It could take several nights of you placing them on the roost before they realize they can do it on their own. Per my Vet ramps with cross bars are bad the bird could slip and jam or break a toe. open rung ladders are safer. or flat ramps with no slip surface. My roosts are about 6 feet up. I have a ramp for my older and larger birds. The light and young ones fly up.

 

[cacknballs]

Can you post a picture of your set up?
They may actually be too high or ..well many other things.
It's hard to offer opinions with out "seeing it."

uh, yeah... we're gonna need to see pictures of the entire thing...

please and thank you!!

: )

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Is there room for a ramp? We have a ramp up to the roost, maybe 4' high, the chickens use it.

In this pic they are all lined up on the edge of the poopboard, the roost is behind them.

 

[sunflour]

View attachment 553650

They need about 2 feet clearance of floor space not only to make a jump up but to come down. Looks like they could get there on top of feeder/fount but coming down would be an issue.

Maybe you could move the feeder/fount sideways on a wall, lower the roost to about 2.5 feet and bet they will use the roost.