Roosting

[RenataPorter]

Hello...I've moved from Texas to Virginia and starting over with a new flock. My chickens still won't roost to sleep. They will nap during the day and preen on the roosts, but at night they still all huddle together on the ground. I'm two weeks out from opening up their nesting boxes and I'm worried that they are going to start sleeping in those. Any suggestions, or do I just roll with it?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are they? What type of roosts?

 

[RenataPorter]

They are 16 weeks. Wooden ones in the coop. I've had chickens for years, I've never come across them still sleeping on the floor.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is a bit odd for that age. What shape are the roosts? Are they sanded? How high up? Is this a smaller coop? What breeds?

 

[RenataPorter]

The roosts are good, I'm using a prefab house that the owner has in there. I don't know the height of the roosts. What bothers me is that they are fine to nap during the day but not at night. Feels like a choice, you know...humanizing my birds! They are ISA's and Americanas. I guess I'm just being selfish because I don't want to have to clean out nesting boxes when the time comes. The coop is not my favorite, but we are renting and I'm trying to use what they have.

 

[Debbie292d]

We too have some right now sleeping on the floor. Eventually, they'll get the nerve to go up to sleep with the rest of them. The last group took about two weeks.

I have one younger hen in a breeding pen who still insists on laying eggs on the floor.

or do I just roll with it?

This has been my motto.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First, I'd get those nests open. If they are going to sleep in them I'd want to know it before they start laying so I can train them otherwise and avoid poopy eggs.

The pullets are up there during the day so they can get up to the roosts so that is not a problem. They simply do not want to. So what? If they want to, they will.

I'd open the nests and see what happens. If they start sleeping in them let us know and we can discuss how to fix that. If the roosts are higher than the nests they seldom want to sleep in the nests but sometimes they do. With living animals you don't get guarantees.

With something like this do not be afraid of a problem that might possibly happen. They are not in danger.