Roosting and bedtime

[katsmeow112]

I have 8 pullets that recently moved into their coop from the brooder. I have one that I think I’m going to name Indy because she is my independent lady, who in the evening is up on the roosting pole all by herself. All the others huddle up into the back left corner of the coop. I know they are young and figuring out their surroundings. Is this normal? Does it matter if they sleep huddled on the floor vs roosting up high? Is my roosting pole to high for them? We have a old wooden ladder that we took apart going up to the roosting pole in case they don’t want to fly up there. Will they eventually just figure it out?

 

[Silviaschicks]

Some chickens won’t want to climb a ladder and prefer to just hop up, so make sure your roost isn’t too high. You may have to put them on the roost for a few days so they know that’s where they’re supposed to be

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes it's normal. Chicks are normally taught by adults to roost so if you don't have older chickens, they may take a while to get it. If you leave them to their own devices they should figure it out over time, but if you'd rather push the issue you can put them on the roost once it's dark to show them that's where to sleep. Up to you, no wrong or right way to handle it.

 

[katsmeow112]

Yes it's normal. Chicks are normally taught by adults to roost so if you don't have older chickens, they may take a while to get it. If you leave them to their own devices they should figure it out over time, but if you'd rather push the issue you can put them on the roost once it's dark to show them that's where to sleep. Up to you, no wrong or right way to handle it.

Hopefully the others will learn from the one that already has it figured out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Hopefully the others will learn from the one that already has it figured out.

They may - my first group of chicks learned from another chick (that I bought later than the others from same source) that had already learned to roost.

 

[vintage]

I placed mine on the roosts for two evenings, by the third they were already up there when I went to close it up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have 8 pullets that recently moved into their coop from the brooder. I have one that I think I’m going to name Indy because she is my independent lady, who in the evening is up on the roosting pole all by herself. All the others huddle up into the back left corner of the coop.

How old are they? My brooder raised chicks usually don't start to roost until they are about 10 to 12 weeks old. I've had some start at 5 weeks, I've had some wait until later, but most start around 10 to 12 weeks of age. Many of my broody hens take their chicks to the roost at 4 weeks. I had a broody hen take her chicks to the roosts at 2 weeks, they have the ability to sleep on roosts at that age. It's not a matter of can they, it's whether they want to or not.

I know they are young and figuring out their surroundings. Is this normal? Does it matter if they sleep huddled on the floor vs roosting up high?

My brooder raised chicks sleep on the floor of the brooder while they are in there. When they move to the coop they sleep on the coop floor until they move to roosts. My broody hens take their chicks to bed on the coop floor. This does not hurt any of my chicks, yours huddling up in the back left corner will not hurt them.

Is my roosting pole to high for them?

How old are they? When the broody hen told her two-week-old chicks to fly up to the roost they did. I saw a couple of them fly up there. They flew up to an intermediate step about 3' up, then flew about 2' further up and about 3' horizontal to get to the 5' high roost. Some may have flown straight up, I did not see all of them get up there.

Are some of yours Silkies or other chickens that can't fly. That might factor into it.

We have a old wooden ladder that we took apart going up to the roosting pole in case they don’t want to fly up there. Will they eventually just figure it out?

Mine always figure it out. Usually when one figures it out the rest soon follow. Usually. But something else I've learned is that each brood is different. Each chicken has its own personality. Each flock has its own dynamics. Just because one group does something does not mean the next one will. To me that's part of what makes chicken TV better than anything on satellite, cable, or antenna, you just don't know what they will do next.

I don't try to micromanage my chickens. I'm fairly laid back about it where some people feel they have to always be hands on. It's not just chickens that are different, we are too.

 

[3KillerBs]

Mine always figure it out. Usually when one figures it out the rest soon follow. Usually. But something else I've learned is that each brood is different. Each chicken has its own personality. Each flock has its own dynamics. Just because one group does something does not mean the next one will. To me that's part of what makes chicken TV better than anything on satellite, cable, or antenna, you just don't know what they will do next.

*nods*

I have two 11-month-old pullets who still sleep on the floor. The Brahma may be too large and heavy to fly up (I've seen her get about 18" of air when powerfully motivated by the suspicion that someone else was getting a dubia roach that should have been hers), but the SLW just sleeps on the floor because she wants to.

 

[SkipperDoo]

I have 4 pullets in a 4x4 coop with two of the walls have windows that take up most of the wall. Have a 2x4 roost but at night they cuddle together in one of the two nesting boxes. I got them at 8 weeks old and don't think they were handled by humans at all, so when they were introduced to coop first day they went right into nesting box as a safe place. Well they are still there 4 weeks later. Roost is above nesting boxes. They will nap on the roosting bar sometimes during the day but not at night. They won't let me hold them at all. I've been talking with them , feeding them treats. Will they stop sleeping in nesting box soon, or I'm wondering if the windows at night scare them. There is outside light all night long so they're not in the dark too much, any ideas???? Maybe I could hang a curtain that covers window at night??

 

[Silviaschicks]

You could try blocking off the nesting boxes at night until they learn