Seven-week olds roosted on perch last night!

[azygous]

It sure took long enough! My six pullets, just turning seven weeks, finally got the idea of roosting up on the perch rather than huddle in a clump on the floor of the coop!

Well, to be accurate, I gave them the idea by placing them up on the perch last night after they were gathering in their pathetic clump again to spend yet another night sleeping in their own poop. I've put them up on the perch before, but they never stayed there, always preferring to sleep on the floor.

It seems to be a group mentality. My other two batches of baby chicks were roosting on a 4 x 4 block I placed in their brooder almost from the start, from two or three weeks at the least. This group completely shunned all forms of perches until now.

FYI: the first batch of chicks was Brahmas, the second was Wyandottes, and the third batch was a mix of Brahma, Wyandotte, Cochin, and Ameraucana.

Anyway, success at last!

 

[FRlEDeggs]

My chicks still sleep on the floor at almost 7 weeks!

 

[OrpingtonManor]

it took my Ameraucanas 11 weeks to figure out the roosts. they huddled on the floor in a sleep heap before that. and they even had my big buff orpingtons to show them the way. sometimes they just need to be babies. it's okay.

 

[Pequena Bandada]

My 15 weekers are still sleeping huddled on the floor. We got them two weeks ago and still haven't convinced them to use the roost. Oh well... someday.

 

[gryeyes]

Ah, come on - think about it! It's one thing to jump up there and perch, looking around and napping in the daylight, and another thing entirely to hang on all night long while ASLEEP. They need a lot of daytime practice and some confidence in order to get it right.

All my chicks have taken several weeks to learn to roost at night. I think it's a balance, coordination, stamina and confidence issue. Really.

But it sure is cute and a relief when they finally all do it!