trying to teach 27 birds to roost. I must be nuts

mine are roosting, just in the wrong part. they have a fenced, well secure run with roosts and also an actual coop area.
each night they are staying in their run and in the morning when they wake they go into the house to eat - thats where im keeping their food.
i thought they would feel more safe in the house? im worried when the temps get cool again in fall they wont know any better then to go into the house where they are better protected from the elements
heres our coop setup:
http://simplelifeainteasy.blogspot.com/2011/05/best-chicken-coop-ever.html

should i force them in the house each night? - i have a few times.
 
Thank you guys! This makes me feel so much better! The man was laughing at me nightly when I told him I was going to go "put the girls to bed." I just want them to be happy and healthy, and it's a labor of love, but if they'll figure it out themselves then I will happily let them!
 
Our Black and White Java chicks are now about 9wks old. They figured out the 'how' to roost at about 7 weeks...ok, two REALLY got it about that time. Wasn't until about three days ago that EVERYONE was on a roost at night.

Funny thing was - Saturday night's severe thunderstorms - I went to check on them prior to the heavens opening up and the deluge beginning....and ALL 11 chicks (each about 1 1/2 #) were on the top roost of a 32" wide roost ladder! They were squeezed in so tight, I thought that surely they couldn't breathe! Now, they're starting to split up on where to sleep...unless the storms return, in which case, THEY'RE ALL ON TOP!

Crazy chicks......
 
My 8 week olds piled in the nesting boxes until I blocked them from it, then they started bunching up on wire covered poop board op end of coop from heat lamp but for a few nights now most of them are on roost near heat lamp.
yippiechickie.gif
 
So glad to hear everyone's input on this. I have 4 7wk. old pullets that haven't roosted since I put them in the coop. We had a roosting bar in the brooder box and they all got up on it at times but I'm wondering if our roosting poles in the coop are up too high. We have one at 2 feet up and another a couple of inches higher. Is 2 feet up too far up? I know they can fly up that high. They've done it outside. Just not sure they can in the confines of the coop. Any thoughts? Or will they just get it eventually?
 
I agree with the others. In time..they will do it on their own. My rooster has never 'roosted'. He would always just sleep in the corner of his coop alone (sad, I know) so when he moved to the big coop with 12 pullets he actually learned to do what they do. The first week they were in their coop (before him) they all slept in the nestboxes or just in the corner. But a few days later I went to check and 4 were roosting! The next night 6, then 10 and finally everyone.

Now they roost in the day to get out of the sun, at night, whenever! When we did move the Roo in with them the first night or two he kept sleeping on the floor. Finally on the third night I opened the door to look and he was missing! I thought maybe I forgot to lock him up, then he sqwaked at me....I looked up and he was roosting! He does every night now. They will get the hang of it when they are confident enough. Make sure your roost bars are not too thin too.
 

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