They really aren't

[Dutchess]

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It really doesn't matter where they roost, unless you have a poop board. If you have one you definately want them to roost under it.

 

[AZSummer]

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My 8 older girls (a little over 8 weeks old) have two roosts they can and usually do use. Last night around 11 when I peeked in , 6 of them were crammed in a 1 foot section of 1 of their roosts. They looked miserable but no one would move! One was in so tight she had to stand up rather than squat over the roosts. And they looked at me like I was bothering them!!

 

[tarragon]

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wow that mad me laugh, thank you .............
there must be something that makes them feel they are safer on that kickboard. I'd try to move the real roost around and see what they like best. are your coop walls wire or closed in wood?
Is your 2x4 pressure treated (odor)?

and they can get up to the roost easily enough?

thats all i can think of

The part where they sleep has wood walls, no wire. No pressure treated wood, the roost is a plain 2x4. They hop up and down off the roost easily, they are now 11 weeks old.

 

[Aemelia]

I love chickens. They can seem so uncharacteristically smart at times and at other times you wonder how they are even able to breathe for being so stupid.

Sounds just like my children....​

 

[Pele]

I'm glad I'm not the only one with chickens who don't know how chickens sleep!

My current flock likes to pile up in the corner nearest the feeder, like if they don't collectively hold it down it's going to get up and leave.

I've heard of others who say theirs did the same thing, but that it was just a pullet thing, and they would eventually graduate to the roosts.

Here's hoping!

 

[BlueBetween]

my chickens are being bratty about sleeping too. they are still in their brooder box during the night (not for long!) and they used to sleep on the roost when it was a skinny thing, then I got the bright idea to build them a quick big girl roost with a 2X4 and they stopped sleeping on a roost and started piling in the wood shavings. Now they pile on the raised platform I have in there for their food and water (raised to keep the shavings out.) and so at night they fuss and raise a huge stink trying to all fit on that platform and I have to go and take their food and water out so they have room to squish together.

 

[kemclaughlin]

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This is it exactly...

The only other place mine could possibly roost in their coop is the ledge that they have to go over to get to the nesting boxes (which are blocked until they are older). We covered it with linoleum so it's curved and slippery. They still try, but as they fall asleep, they slide off. LOL.

 

[sdeneen2001]

Okay, I just moved mine our a week ago. They are now 9 weeks old. They get themselves out of the coop in the morning, but every night they are in a different corner of the pen in a pilo-o-feathers. I turn on a flashlight in the coop and put them into the coop and then up on the roost. I'm getting better about putting them in the right order. The EE goes on the left end and the larger DE goes on the right end. The other DE doesn't mind where she is, but the 2 Speckled S don't want to be next to the EE, the Golden SL don't mind the EE, but want to be next to each other. So from left to right it goes EE, GSL, GSL, SS, SS, DE, DE. If I don't put them in the right order, they will climb over each other and fall off the roost trying to get to the right spot - who knew?!

Once they get settled, they stay on the roosts all night!

 

[gryeyes]

Each batch o' chicks I put out takes some time to roost at night. Most have it down all by themselves around 12 weeks old, but a few didn't make it up there routinely until they were 16 wks old. I rally didn't care, but admit I was glad when they all figured it out.

I just love that description of putting them up IN ORDER.