roosting?

[peartreehens]

Hi all. I have four new chicks. They're about 6 weeks old. Two of them hop up on the roosts and hang out there, but two don't even attempt it. My last round of chicks were all on the roosts from about a month old on. Do you think these two will get around to it? Or are they just ground chickens? I'm hoping they learn to sleep on roosts before I put them in with the Big Girls. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

 

[hxgumdrop]

They may just be slow starters but you could try placing them on to the roost and see if that helps

 

[peartreehens]

I try that every few days. They won't even attempt to hold on, they just fall/flap down to the ground without even grasping.

 

[hxgumdrop]

how are the when you handle them? do they hold on to your finger?

 

[iwiw60]

What are you using for your roost bar?

 

[Sylviaanne]

This is what I am using:
I am not sure what it was for, I bought it to hang afghans from when I go to street fairs but never used it, it was just sitting and taking up room. It had 3 more bars on it but they were so close together that I didn't think the chickens would have room to fly to the next bar so we removed them. I plan on smoothing the top of the bars off so the chickens will have better purchase but I don't have a plane yet. I have put them on it twice but last night only the young ones were on it. It might be the heavier adults can't manage the bars. Maybe when I can plane them down, they will use them better. In the meantime they are sitting and pooping on the trash cans I have their food in. Dirty little birds! If they don't start to use it when I plane the bars down, I am thinking of putting a flat piece of wood on top of the bars and nailing them into position.

I forgot that I haven't put a walkway up for them yet. It is also in the works.

 

[iwiw60]

This is what I am using:
I am not sure what it was for, I bought it to hang afghans from when I go to street fairs but never used it, it was just sitting and taking up room. It had 3 more bars on it but they were so close together that I didn't think the chickens would have room to fly to the next bar so we removed them. I plan on smoothing the top of the bars off so the chickens will have better purchase but I don't have a plane yet. I have put them on it twice but last night only the young ones were on it. It might be the heavier adults can't manage the bars. Maybe when I can plane them down, they will use them better. In the meantime they are sitting and pooping on the trash cans I have their food in. Dirty little birds! If they don't start to use it when I plane the bars down, I am thinking of putting a flat piece of wood on top of the bars and nailing them into position.

I forgot that I haven't put a walkway up for them yet. It is also in the works.

I think the roost bars themselves are way too small, even for young pullets. Chickens are not like parakeets and the like. Parakeets like to 'grasp' their roost bar and curl their toes around them. Chickens on the other hand like to 'sit' on the roost bar, they do not like to curl their toes around anything. The most widely used roost bar for chickens hands-down is a 2 x 4 laying FLAT, this way they can roost comfortably and in cold winter months they can sit on their feet to keep warmer.

 

[hxgumdrop]

Its a bit hard to tell but it may be that the roost isnt wide enough, mine have a rounded one and have no problem but its alot fatter than what yours looks

 

[Papas Chickens]

I use 3 inch round tree limbs that i cut off my Yellow Palo Verde my girls seem to enjoy roosting on them.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I think the roost bars themselves are way too small, even for young pullets. Chickens are not like parakeets and the like. Parakeets like to 'grasp' their roost bar and curl their toes around them. Chickens on the other hand like to 'sit' on the roost bar, they do not like to curl their toes around anything. The most widely used roost bar for chickens hands-down is a 2 x 4 laying FLAT, this way they can roost comfortably and in cold winter months they can sit on their feet to keep warmer.

Reading what you wrote, yes, the bars are too small for adult hens and roosters. I did not know they don't like to curl their toes around what they are sitting on, I thought all birds curled their toes. I have read that they like to sit on their feet to keep them warm and wondered how they did that with their toes curled over the edge of the board. I will nail some 2x4s over the dowels.