Shouldn't they be roosting by now?

[PatinOxford]

Four pullets, 13 weeks old, well-grown, very normal in all respects ... except they don't roost. They sleep in a heap in one corner of their coop, piled on top of each other. And it's NOT cold. 75 degrees at night. I don't recall this being an issue before. I raised four pullets last year in the same coop, they roosted ... well, pretty much as soon as I moved them into the coop from the brooder. Figured out the warm spot under the heat lamp and snuggled together under it (they still do snuggle together when they roost). These girls were sleeping all crowded into one nest box, so I put up a board over the boxes, thinking that would do the trick. But no. Any ideas, suggestions?

 

[limited25]

We had to place each of our pullets on the roost until they got the idea. Only took a few nights of doing this ... hope it works that way for you also.

 

[koolfunchicks]

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Give them time.
Mine did the same thing. Eventually they figured it out and now everyone roosts.

 

[azygous]

I've never had a problem getting my chicks to roost not long after I moved them into their coop, that is, until now.

Usually, I move my chicks into the coop around five weeks old, and after a few nights of placing them on the perch, they get the idea and that's it.

I now have four eight-week old EEs, and these twerps are just "retarded". I've been diligently fishing them out of the tight little pile they form each night and placing them on their roosting perch. This has been going on for three solid weeks, and they are only now beginning to remain on the perch all night.

Just keep placing yours on the perch, blocking off the nest boxes, and one day soon, yours and my chicks will surprise us and finally start acting like chickens with some sense.

Gads. What we go through.

 

[carlf]

We had to place each of our pullets on the roost until they got the idea.  Only took a few nights of doing this ... hope it works that way for you also.

Same here.

 

[Folly's place]

Broody raised chicks are roosting as soon as they have wing feathers; three weeks or a little later. Incubated chicks take longer, they don't have mom to show them the way. I have the same experience as the above posters. Mary

 

[carlf]

My hen is back in the coop at night roosting on the bar. Her five 9- week old chicks are still outside in the run under tjhe coop. I'll give them a few more weeks and then start putting them on the roost in the coop. One issue is they are scared of the dominant hen, and she " rules the roost "

 

[gator75]

Mine took over two weeks of me unpiling them and placing them in the roost to figure it out.

 

[aart]

Four pullets, 13 weeks old, well-grown, very normal in all respects ... except they don't roost. They sleep in a heap in one corner of their coop, piled on top of each other. And it's NOT cold. 75 degrees at night. I don't recall this being an issue before. I raised four pullets last year in the same coop, they roosted ... well, pretty much as soon as I moved them into the coop from the brooder. Figured out the warm spot under the heat lamp and snuggled together under it (they still do snuggle together when they roost). These girls were sleeping all crowded into one nest box, so I put up a board over the boxes, thinking that would do the trick. But no. Any ideas, suggestions?

Is there a separate roost from the one the older birds are using?