Teaching chicks to sleep on a roost

[clickncluck]

I have 4 week old speckled Sussex chicks. I moved them up to the coop a couple of days ago. They sleep all piled together. I have gone out and placed them on the roost several times during the evening but they always end up in a pile. They will sit on the roost during the day. But not at night.
My other batch of speckled Sussex 6 years ago did the same. They never did sleep on the roost. They often slept in the nest box.
I thought it was a natural instinct, but I can't seem to teach them how. Any suggestions? It would be nice if they would so their bums don't get all poopy.
Thanks

 

[barred2rock]

My BRs started roosting during the day at a few days old, but not at night. It wasn't until they were about ten weeks old when they took to roosting at night. Since they're roosting during the day they obviously know how. They should take to night roosting when they're ready. Right now they still need to cuttle.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Four weeks is a little young for a lot of them, although I did have one hen tell her kids it was time to roost at that age. Usually it is a couple more weeks later than that.

 

[centrarchid]

Like clockwork for getting broods to roost up. First keep them in pen like shown on top in image below. Then move pen (actually a rabbit pen) to desired location. Chicks very very likely to fly up to roost in the pen. Keep pen in the roosting location for a couple of nights, then remove pen from roosting area so chicks cannot find it. I am able to get chicks to roost up consistently by three weeks following this procedure.

 

[azygous]

Chicks like to sleep in a pile, especially in a nest box because the closeness gives them a sense of security. In fact, chickens retain this "nostalgia" for this closeness into adulthood. Watch them dirt bathe together or mob you for a group hug. (Well, mine do, anyway.) They bliss out scrunched all together.

You can capitalize on this inclination to pile up for sleeping when you are teaching your chicks to roost. First, wait until you hear them making their bedtime trilling noises which signal the need to snuggle together for sleep. Then place them on the perch as close together as you can smoosh them. Try to put the most insecure chick on the inside next to a wall and end with the most dominant one on the outside exposed end of the group.

I advise you block off the nest boxes while you teach the chicks to transition from sleeping on the floor in a pile to sleeping on a perch. It's a lot easier than trying to break them of this bad habit later.

 

[barred2rock]

Chicks like to sleep in a pile, especially in a nest box because the closeness gives them a sense of security. In fact, chickens retain this "nostalgia" for this closeness into adulthood. Watch them dirt bathe together or mob you for a group hug. (Well, mine do, anyway.) They bliss out scrunched all together.

You can capitalize on this inclination to pile up for sleeping when you are teaching your chicks to roost. First, wait until you hear them making their bedtime trilling noises which signal the need to snuggle together for sleep. Then place them on the perch as close together as you can smoosh them. Try to put the most insecure chick on the inside next to a wall and end with the most dominant one on the outside exposed end of the group.

I advise you block off the nest boxes while you teach the chicks to transition from sleeping on the floor in a pile to sleeping on a perch. It's a lot easier than trying to break them of this bad habit later.

Yeah, I've noticed three of my pullets (20 weeks) huddle on the perch on the east wall and two on the west wall. Not sure why they don't just all huddle together. I guess the two don't like the other three or visa versa. Although not a lot of fights, so who knows.