Roosting

[Rosalba]

I have a rooster and 2 chickens with 2 Cockrells and 4 pullets. They all sleep in the coop and they roost . Recently I bought 2 hens from a chicken store and at night they don't roost. I have an available stick for them to roost on so it is not a problem of them being scared. How should I get them to roost so they won't sleep on their poop?

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are those two "hens"? Are they laying yet? Age (maturity) has an effect on when and where they sleep.

Chicks sleep on the floor in a brooder. My broody hens keep their chicks on the coop floor at night until they take them to the roosts. Are you sure "How should I get them to roost so they won't sleep on their poop" is all that valid a concern? That it really is a problem? Many people on this forum think it is. I personally don't worry about it. In my opinion they will roost when they are ready. As long as they are not sleeping in the nests and are some place safe from predators I don't care where they sleep.

If you want to try to train them to roost, after the coop is too dark for them to be able to see, put them on the roost. As long as it is dark they should stay up there, just use as little light as you can while you do that. If they are ready to roost and are OK where you are putting them they should start going up on their own fairly soon. Just be consistent.

 

[Rosalba]

How old are those two "hens"? Are they laying yet? Age (maturity) has an effect on when and where they sleep.

Chicks sleep on the floor in a brooder. My broody hens keep their chicks on the coop floor at night until they take them to the roosts. Are you sure "How should I get them to roost so they won't sleep on their poop" is all that valid a concern? That it really is a problem? Many people on this forum think it is. I personally don't worry about it. In my opinion they will roost when they are ready. As long as they are not sleeping in the nests and are some place safe from predators I don't care where they sleep.

If you want to try to train them to roost, after the coop is too dark for them to be able to see, put them on the roost. As long as it is dark they should stay up there, just use as little light as you can while you do that. If they are ready to roost and are OK where you are putting them they should start going up on their own fairly soon. Just be consistent.

I don't know exactly how old they are they look like they're about to be adults bc they're not chicks for sure but when my rooster tries mating with them they start screaming so I feel like they're not adults yet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You're probably right, that sounds like pullets that are not laying yet. My immature pullets don't sleep on the main roosts with the older hens until they start laying. I'm not sure where your cockerels and pullets sleep now relative to the adults.

You might try putting up a separate roost specifically for the newcomers, away from the others and train them to sleep there. It sounds like they are old enough to roost.

 

[Rosalba]

You're probably right, that sounds like pullets that are not laying yet. My immature pullets don't sleep on the main roosts with the older hens until they start laying. I'm not sure where your cockerels and pullets sleep now relative to the adults.

You might try putting up a separate roost specifically for the newcomers, away from the others and train them to sleep there. It sounds like they are old enough to roost.

The Cockrell and pullets roost on a different roost than the rooster and hens and there is an available roost for the new ones and hopefully when they start laying they roost as well. I will try your technique on putting them on the roost until they do it themselves.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The Cockrell and pullets roost on a different roost than the rooster and hens

That sounds perfectly normal, exactly what I see with mine.

and there is an available roost for the new ones and hopefully when they start laying they roost as well.

When they mature I'd expect all of them to move to the main roosts.

 

[aart]

so it is not a problem of them being scared.

It might be exactly that.
Did you just toss them in with the other birds?
Adding new birds can be tricky, the existing birds don't like 'strangers' invading theier territory and eating their food.

How big is your coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics might help here.

 

[Rosalba]

Update: the new hens have started roosting since tonight without me putting them on the roost.

 

[Happy hen lover]

How old are those two "hens"? Are they laying yet? Age (maturity) has an effect on when and where they sleep.

Chicks sleep on the floor in a brooder. My broody hens keep their chicks on the coop floor at night until they take them to the roosts. Are you sure "How should I get them to roost so they won't sleep on their poop" is all that valid a concern? That it really is a problem? Many people on this forum think it is. I personally don't worry about it. In my opinion they will roost when they are ready. As long as they are not sleeping in the nests and are some place safe from predators I don't care where they sleep.

If you want to try to train them to roost, after the coop is too dark for them to be able to see, put them on the roost. As long as it is dark they should stay up there, just use as little light as you can while you do that. If they are ready to roost and are OK where you are putting them they should start going up on their own fairly soon. Just be consistent.

I agree. Mine did finally roost once they got old enough too. They slept everywhere before that!