Roosts for Chicks?

[Mrswallace]

Hi Fellow Chicken Lovers!

I picked up six chicks on Wednesday from a local feed store - a barred rock, buff orpington and three cochin bantams (sex unknown). We can only have three chickens in the city, but decided to get an additional two bantams in hopes that at least one is a female. They are all so cute and lively and already hopping up on their feeder. When should they be introduced to a roost? Right now they sleep on the faces (which scared me to death at first!) or laying down (surprised me!). Any suggestions or pointers would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

You can put a small roost inside of thier brooder anytime now. Your chicks sound like they would benefit from a small roost (just a couple inches off the ground is good for young chicks), but you can raise it as they grow. Good luck!

 

[chicken gal]

When i put them in the coop at about 9 weeks old and the coop had some little pieces of wood in the front of the nesting boxes and i noticed that they were on top of that. So i put a roost in there and they just flew up there. Except my barred rock. So you might want to wait a little bit. But you need it in there. So wait until there like (teenagers).

 

[popsicle]

I have a mini roost in my brooding box. It's always there.

My latest batch of chicks were already a week old when I got them and I don't think they were exposed to a roost before I got them. They were perched on the roosts within hours.

Here's a photo:

 

[TwoCrows]

I start day old babies with a small diameter twig right away in the brooder. As they age, I work them up to a 2x4, with the 2 side up, so by the time they are 6 weeks old and headed for the chicken coop, they roost automatically.

 

[TLWR]

Mine have a pine branch in their brooder.

 

[Mrswallace]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I have some branches from a curly-willow that might work great in their brooder/box. Should the branch or trig I put in the box be cleaned in any special way? The branches have been outside all winter -

Thanks!

 

[TwoCrows]

I don't clean mine. Unless you see wild bird poop, sap or such things on the branches, then the exposure to outside things will do them good.

Good luck with your new babies!

 

[Mrswallace]

Thanks for the reply! I'll introduce them to their "roost" this week.

 

[ni22]

I used a tree branch that we had previously cut for firewood, it is about 2 inches wide, I just put it on the ground of the brooder. My babies are 4 days old and I put it in their brooder yesterday, a couple of them actually roosted there last night! Very cute!