Strange thing the chickens are doing in the coop at dusk?!?

[BethMatt]

This is a random situation, but I was wondering if anyone knew or had something similar going on. Our Chicks are about 6 1/2 wks old, they have just started cooping themselves at dusk, but they are doing the weirdest thing when they go in for the night, the dart straight over to this one corner of the coop, start digging & scratching at the floor & wall, piling up on each other to get into this particular corner, then huddle down & go to sleep?? What do you suppose is the reason? I thought it might be that they were cold, but it was 70 in the coop last night at dusk & they still did it??

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This is a random situation, but I was wondering if anyone knew or had something similar going on. Our Chicks are about 6 1/2 wks old, they have just started cooping themselves at dusk, but they are doing the weirdest thing when they go in for the night, the dart straight over to this one corner of the coop, start digging & scratching at the floor & wall, piling up on each other to get into this particular corner, then huddle down & go to sleep?? What do you suppose is the reason? I thought it might be that they were cold, but it was 70 in the coop last night at dusk & they still did it??

This is not at all unusual for young birds such as your flock. What you are seeing is entirely normal for them to be doing and, as they mature a bit more, it will lessen as they transition to roosting for sleep.

 

[BethMatt]

Thank you! that's helpful to know! I thought I was missing something that I needed to do for them!

 

[Chickenshoe]

we have 13 girls bout 6 weeks old, they are doing this exact same thing...funny to watch a pile of them at dusk at one corner kind of a "rugby scrum" piled up against the wall of the box, they settle down and get up on small roost boards we have set up in there, the older they get the more they are sleeping on the roost bar instead of in a pile on the floor of the box.. the pile of sleeping birds is cute tho...

 

[BethMatt]

we have 13 girls bout 6 weeks old, they are doing this exact same thing...funny to watch a pile of them at dusk at one corner kind of a "rugby scrum" piled up against the wall of the box, they settle down and get up on small roost boards we have set up in there, the older they get the more they are sleeping on the roost bar instead of in a pile on the floor of the box.. the pile of sleeping birds is cute tho...

It is cute! I was worried at first, but to hear that mine aren't the only ones doing this makes me smile...silly chicks

 

[tigerchick]

My chicks are doing the same thing. They are 6 weeks old and moved to the outside coop last weekend. I had to put them in the hen house the first two nights. On the third night, nine of the ten went in by themselves. I have put them on the roost poles but they jump down after a few minutes.

Does anyone know the age when they will start to roost?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

My chicks are doing the same thing. They are 6 weeks old and moved to the outside coop last weekend. I had to put them in the hen house the first two nights. On the third night, nine of the ten went in by themselves. I have put them on the roost poles but they jump down after a few minutes.

Does anyone know the age when they will start to roost?

There is no set age - it just comes when it does and varies from bird to bird (or, more to the point, brood to brood as once one stats the new trend the others tend to follow suit).

 

[BethMatt]

My chicks are doing the same thing. They are 6 weeks old and moved to the outside coop last weekend. I had to put them in the hen house the first two nights. On the third night, nine of the ten went in by themselves. I have put them on the roost poles but they jump down after a few minutes.

Does anyone know the age when they will start to roost?

Mine have only used the roost to play around on & nap during the day, seems like they are trying it out, & eventually they'll sleep on it. They like to still huddle together at night, it's kind of cute to watch them try & get as close together as they can, then fall straight asleep

 

[tigerchick]

Sometimes I will move them around to make sure the chick on the bottom is still alive

. I am afraid it's getting crushed.

 

[rides2far]

Mine are almost 8 weeks & the majority huddle in a pile on the door. I have to look before I open the door! I have about 3 or 4 that roost, the rest are in their dogpile.