Still don't roost

[junebuggena]

I'm having the same problem! My girls have been outside in their coop for two months now and for quite some time slept only in the nesting box (all four crammed on top of each other in a 1.5 x 1 ft space by choice), even though they had a higher up, wide 2x4 to roost on. I tried lifting them on to the roost at night and every time they'd just hop back down. I put a little ramp to the roost so they wouldn't have to hop up. No dice. I've had the nesting box blocked off for about two weeks now and the girls just huddle in front of the box and sleep on the floor. I've put stuff in the way of where they like to pile up, they just knock it out of the way. Every morning, they're outside, resting on a skinny-side-up 2x4 that's part of the run construction but they flat-out refuse to sleep on the roost in the coop.

I've put snacks up on the roosting bar, but they're still not interested. Not sure what else to try or what to do when they start laying!

Mine didn't start roosting until about 14 to 16 weeks old.

 

[supchicks]

Mine are about 17 weeks old now. And stubborn.

 

[LE808]

I'm having the same problem. I've recently changed my coop and converted a shed. My 3 girls are 2 years old and I find them huddled on the coop floor every night and I'm putting them on the perches every night. Is it likely they'll eventually do it themselves?? It's been a week now and still no change!

 

[supchicks]

Success! After methodically putting my girls on the roost every night for the last week, last night when I went to check on them, two had put themselves to bed up on the roost all by themselves! I was so proud

 

[supchicks]

And last night, all four of them were up on the roost! Yay!

 

[LE808]

I've had similar success, having put them all on the perch every night I'm finding 2 and one sat directly underneath the rest (not the best spot!) persistency is key!

 

[shell shocked]

hi all
really are funny things hens i got my girls sunday just gone first night 3 got on the
perches 3 in the dropping trays monday 5 on perches one in the tray so i open the doors
behind the perches popped her on now they just get on they are only 17 weeks old so i
have blocked the nest box off to make sure they are not tempted to sleep in it my copper
black maran and rhode island red are the brains they work stuff out and the other 4
follow so i suppose some hens are quicker than others but they will catch on in the end

shell shocked

 

[allpeepedout]

It's difficult to tell from the photo, but there needs to be sufficient space between the roost and the wall for them to jump up on the roost and hang over half their body, including occasionally overshooting the roost and losing their balance. They can't feel like they are going to slam their face into the wall when they jump up. Similarly, if they are jumping first up onto poop board, they need room not to slam their face into roost installed above. Maybe a ramp would help?

The higher the roost, the more extra space and room for error you might need, depending on breed, agility, etc. I think my roosts are 12 - 14 inches from the wall, and only about 30 inches high, for large fowl. Nest boxes on floor.

If you have a high roost, like 4 feet, you also need a significant horizontal "fly down" space, plus soft bedding to land.

 

[supchicks]

My girls are all happily sleeping on the roost now (yay!) but I'm wondering how long it takes for that to become a habit. I want to unblock the nest boxes because I have two girls who look like they'll be laying eggs any day now but I don't want them all to revert back to huddling together in the nests. Anyone have thoughts? Should I wait until we actually get an egg or just give it a few weeks?

 

[Pork Pie]

You could consider opening the nest boxes first thing in the morning and closing them when you put them to bed. I use surrogate hens to hatch my eggs so they learn from their mother when its time to use the main roost (i leave their mini coop door open - if the hen chooses main roost then its time to move the mini coop out of the shed).