Roosting Positions

[Clminer]

My chicks are ten weeks old now. Every evening the top roost is full of hens and the second roost has one hen and my rooster. Shouldn’t he be on the top roost? When will he establish dominance, or will he? I also have about two Red Stars and one Buff who sleep on the floor even though there is a ton of unused roost space.

 

[Melky]

If there is peace I would not worry about who sleeps where, just me.
I like a man who thinks ladies first.

 

[Melky]

If it bothers you about the ones on the ground who nest. You can go in after dark to place them on a low roost till they learn to roost. The only thing a nester would be at risk for is lice and mites to attach to them at night. Less at risk if off ground. Same for predators. Roosters will often stagger themselves throughout the flock so no issue there.

 

[Clminer]

If it bothers you about the ones on the ground who nest. You can go in after dark to place them on a low roost till they learn to roost. The only thing a nester would be at risk for is lice and mites to attach to them at night. Less at risk if off ground. Same for predators. Roosters will often stagger themselves throughout the flock so no issue there.

Thanks. Yeah I put one Red Star on a low roost last night to see if she would stay or jump down and this morning before dawn she was still on the roost.

 

[Melky]

Sometimes they just need a teacher. Glad that worked out. Eventually they will get it on own. I would go out checking on them for about a week till they get it.

 

[HeiHeisMom]

He's putting the girls in the safer place.
Such s young gentleman!

 

[Melky]

He's putting the girls in the safer place.
Such s young gentleman!

Yep I agree. Sign of good rooster protecting his flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At ten weeks you still have babies. My brooder-raised chicks typically start roosting on their own around 10 to 12 weeks if they are in my grow-out coop with no adults present. I've had some start earlier at 5 weeks and some go a few weeks past 12 weeks but 10 to 12 is more normal. They will perch during the day at a younger age but to me roosting means sleeping at night. How your coop is set up may affect that timing. If they are in the main coop with the other adults the brooder-raised chicks often wait a lot longer but I've had a broody hen take her chicks to the roosts as early as two weeks though four to five weeks is more normal with broodies.

At 10 weeks your cockerel is not a rooster, the hormones haven't hit yet. His behaviors will change when the hormones hit.

I don't see anything wrong with them sleeping on the floor is they want to. In the brooder they sleep on the floor and it doesn't hurt them. If the poop builds up and they don't scratch that area during the day rake it or toss some treats in that area so they will scratch it and spread the poop. You can train them by putting them on the roosts at night but I prefer to let them work stuff like that out on their own. Just different management styles.

 

[Clminer]

At ten weeks you still have babies. My brooder-raised chicks typically start roosting on their own around 10 to 12 weeks if they are in my grow-out coop with no adults present. I've had some start earlier at 5 weeks and some go a few weeks past 12 weeks but 10 to 12 is more normal. They will perch during the day at a younger age but to me roosting means sleeping at night. How your coop is set up may affect that timing. If they are in the main coop with the other adults the brooder-raised chicks often wait a lot longer but I've had a broody hen take her chicks to the roosts as early as two weeks though four to five weeks is more normal with broodies.

At 10 weeks your cockerel is not a rooster, the hormones haven't hit yet. His behaviors will change when the hormones hit.

I don't see anything wrong with them sleeping on the floor is they want to. In the brooder they sleep on the floor and it doesn't hurt them. If the poop builds up and they don't scratch that area during the day rake it or toss some treats in that area so they will scratch it and spread the poop. You can train them by putting them on the roosts at night but I prefer to let them work stuff like that out on their own. Just different management styles.

Yeah that’s my only problem with them nesting on floor is the droppings. I want the droppings on the droppings board with the other chicks. They figured out the sleeping on the roost by themselves at about 8 or 9 weeks. I know the roosters hormones haven’t kicked in yet but he is the boss of the flock when it comes to everything else and has been since they were probably two weeks old. He’s kinda a buzz kill. Any fun starts with the girls he’s quick to shut it down.

 

[Melky]

Yeah that’s my only problem with them nesting on floor is the droppings. I want the droppings on the droppings board with the other chicks. They figured out the sleeping on the roost by themselves at about 8 or 9 weeks. I know the roosters hormones haven’t kicked in yet but he is the boss of the flock when it comes to everything else and has been since they were probably two weeks old. He’s kinda a buzz kill. Any fun starts with the girls he’s quick to shut it down.

Some have had to cull or rehome roosters once hormones kicked in if too obnoxious to the hens. Sometimes they put them in a bachelor pad if have more than one. I would put the hens first in this situation.