roosting and nesting help needed

[oscarsdriver]

I have just put 5 5-week-old chickens in their new coop home. However they are not going up the latter and roosting in the area I have made for them. Instead they lay on the ground so I could really use some suggestions on how to get them up there. I want them to be protected and get good rest at night. I'm going to try to include a picture of our coop so one might understand my description. Thanks for the help!
/Users/jimmyharmon/Desktop/Coop/P1130195.JPG

 

[blueheaven]

i had this issue too with my chix. my first set of pullets got the hang of it two years ago; however, my new babies (8 weeks) just mastered it.

i went out to the coop around dusk or after and started putting them on their roosts. some wanted down, but i kept putting them back up there.
it took almost a week and now they are roosting great on their own.

good luck!

 

[oscarsdriver]

here is a 2 pics of the coop i want them to roost at night above the nests.

 

[oscarsdriver]

thanks for the advise... so I just keep putting them in the on their roost in the box until they start going up there by themselves. Any chance someone has any advise on catching them without hurting them. I try not to stress them but it seems they all get really worked up and begin flying into the wire and so forth. Does this hurt them or is it just par for the course?

 

[spotstealer]

Very nice coop! A couple things, maybe they are just a bit young to get up in there yet, I kept mine in a brooder pen until they were eight weeks. They caught on the second night (the first night, I put the apparent mother hen in the coop, the rest followed). Also, the ladder going from the run to the coop may be a bit steep and they may not be comfortable walking up it. Also, the looking at the roosting board, are you in a cold weather climate? if so, you may want to use a flat 2X4 for a roost. The reason being, they are forced to sit on their feet to roost, helping to prevent frostbite. You may entice them with treats leading up to the coop, but eventually, they figure things out for themselves.

 

[oscarsdriver]

thanks, we live on the Gulf Coast of Alabama so if it get around 20 at night that is pretty cold for us. If you think they would be more comfortable on the 2x4 I could change it out... like I said I'm very much an amateur at this and our whole family is learning together. I have wondered about the steps being to steep so I might try a longer ladder up so that night be the first thing I try, but of the two responses it seems they seem to catch on around 8 weeks so I might change the ladder and try to be patient.... not one of my better traits

 

[Roadstump]

I built a small roost when they were young. just tall enough to hop up on. It was not more than a 3' long straight branch nailed onto a couple of 2x2 T-legs, probably 4" off the litter. When they got bigger I built them up a taller one, still just tall enough for them to jump up on and sleep off the ground. they loved it. I then left the taller one in and installed the ladder up to the final roost. They went up when they were ready. Seems like they always wanted to be on the tallest surface they could get on. i had to break one out of the habit of flying up on top of the wall between the rafters and roosting up there. Nothing wrong with that except it's really no fun cleaning poop out of that spot.

 

[fshinggrl]

LOVE your coop!!!

I think they're probably too young. My 3 month olds just learned to roost up high about a month ago. I did not do anything.. they just did it on their own. Chickens do figure things out... good luck!

 

[oscarsdriver]

Alright guys I have some news for you! After two days.... I repeat.... two days of rounding up the girls and putting them in the roosting box I have four girls nesting in it tonight and one laying down about two feet away from the nesting boxes!!! SUCCESS!!! It was so nice not having to round them up and freak them out to get them to nest!!! I'm pumped !!!!!!! Now they still don't go up and down the ladder during the day but I'm so happy that they caught on so quickly. I went out to the coop the past two days and locked them in around dusk with food and water and then let them out around 7:00am every morning. I love chickens... although my wife did reply to my gazing out the window of our living yesterday "I wish I got that kind of attention!" Well now that they are roosting I'm all hers!!!! I wonder if I should still close the door on them at night in case a predator gets in the coop?

 

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

Quote:
EXACTLY THE SAME THING I DID.....and I was about to suggest the same thing, but wanted to read everyone elses status to make sure this wasn't covered.
I think this is the best way to TRAIN your chickens to roost properly. Mine were roosting 6 feet off the floor at a very early age. But before that, they started with a smaller one, then another level, then as high as I could get it.
I actually lowered it back down now that they're full grown. Not a lot of room in a 4' x 8' coop. It's hard for them to fly off the roost due to lack of landing strip.