Snugglers

[pmcgov]

My girls put themselves to bed at 8pm almost on the dot every night. They sleep in a heap (puppy style) in a corner of their coop. I have areas for them to roost in the coop...is it normal for them to sleep this way? It's very cute.

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

It may be cute, which I am sure it is,

, you need to train them to use the roost bars. Unless you used a roost bar in your brooder, your babies have no idea what the roost bar is for. So you need to go out just after they have gone to bed, when it is dark and put them on the roost bar, one by one. They may jump down at first, but put them back on. Usually if you do this in the dark, they will stay put. You may need to do this for a few nights in a row, but eventually they will get the idea that you want them to sleep on the bar.

Enjoy your babies! They are adorable at this age, but you need to train them as to what you need them to do. Good luck and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2 what TwoCrows said, young chickens often like to pile in a corner rather than use the roosts. Make sure your roost bars are easy to get on to, not too far off the floor or have multiple ones they can use ladder like to get up.

 

[pmcgov]

Thanks! I should have mentioned that they are not really ''babies"...we got our ladies at 19 weeks, already laying, from a great local farm. They are now 21 weeks old. We have a roosting bar that I hung about 2 feet off the floor. They've been on it. They may even nap there during the day here as there. But they're overnight sleep seems to be snuggled with each other. Is this ok?

 

[TwoCrows]

Thanks! I should have mentioned that they are not really ''babies"...we got our ladies at 19 weeks, already laying, from a great local farm. They are now 21 weeks old. We have a roosting bar that I hung about 2 feet off the floor. They've been on it. They may even nap there during the day here as there. But they're overnight sleep seems to be snuggled with each other. Is this ok?

They really need to start learning to roost. As they grow, you will have a lot of trouble with poop in their butts if they sleep on the floor.

 

[gander007]

 

[pmcgov]

Thank you. Several of them were up on the roost this morning. Maybe they are getting the idea.

 

[TwoCrows]

Great!!

 

[drumstick diva]