Twelve week old chicks not roosting

[sahmhomesteader]

I have six hens and eleven chicks that are twelve weeks old. The chicks have been in the big coop with the older girls for a couple of weeks, and I just cannot get them to roost. Now a few have started sleeping in the nesting boxes. I am not sure what else to do...

 

[Judy]

I would close off the nesting boxes at night to put a stop to that. They may not roost with the others for a long time, like weeks or months. I would put in a separate roost if possible.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Okay I will try to make something to close them off. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

I've gotten creative over the years when it comes to trying to get chicks to roost.

Why don't you try fixing up a temporary or permanent perch for the chicks that is just six inches high? This will give them their own place to roost as well as being something close to the ground and not to be feared. Rig up two, on second thought. The big girls will want to try the new low perch, too.

Or you can try placing the chicks on the perch after dark. When I do this for a few nights, they often get the message.

If the chicks do begin roosting on the perches, and the big girls knock them off, try rigging partitions along the perch. I find this useful even after they grow up.

Closing off the nest boxes at night is a definite must. It's something I need to do as a matter of routine, even though all the flock should know better by now. There's just something cozy and irresistible about a nest that they all want to sleep in them at some point.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

I've gotten creative over the years when it comes to trying to get chicks to roost.

Why don't you try fixing up a temporary or permanent perch for the chicks that is just six inches high? This will give them their own place to roost as well as being something close to the ground and not to be feared. Rig up two, on second thought. The big girls will want to try the new low perch, too.

Or you can try placing the chicks on the perch after dark. When I do this for a few nights, they often get the message.

If the chicks do begin roosting on the perches, and the big girls knock them off, try rigging partitions along the perch. I find this useful even after they grow up.

Closing off the nest boxes at night is a definite must. It's something I need to do as a matter of routine, even though all the flock should know better by now. There's just something cozy and irresistible about a nest that they all want to sleep in them at some point.

Thank you! I will definitely try the new low perches. I have tried putting them on the roosting bars at night although I probably gave up too early (after 4 nights). It was also hard to try to make sure I had placed every one of the 11 chicks on the bars haha. I can't tell the black australorps apart!

 

[aart]

Do you have enough roost length for 17 birds....should have about 17 feet of roost length.


I had to add a slightly lower roost and put the pullets on it every night just after dark for about 3 weeks before it became habit. Luckily I can access my nests from outside the coop, so if I got out there at dusk I would poke them in the butt out of the nest and they'd make their way to the roost, easier than moving them after dark.....after not too long I would walk to the coop at dusk and the nest sleepers would move before needing to be poked.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Do you have enough roost length for 17 birds....should have about 17 feet of roost length.


I had to add a slightly lower roost and put the pullets on it every night just after dark for about 3 weeks before it became habit. Luckily I can access my nests from outside the coop, so if I got out there at dusk I would poke them in the butt out of the nest and they'd make their way to the roost, easier than moving them after dark.....after not too long I would walk to the coop at dusk and the nest sleepers would move before needing to be poked.

I do have enough. Our coop is 13x13 inside our barn with one whole wall being the roosting bars multiple levels high. Every time I put the chicks on the bars they just hop right back down

 

[tomslanababy]

Newbie here. Why do they have to roost? I have a bunch of babies not roosting but I have 11 1--3 year old red production hens. They sleep on the floor of coop a couple in nest boxes. Then I have 5 white leghorn maybe. They roost. I didn't raise these and the man I got em from had 5000 in a barn.....

 

[aart]

Quote: Sounds like plenty of room and roost...sometimes it takes awhile for chicks to start roosting....I've found a 2x4 with the wide side up is the favorite roosting spot.

Newbie here. Why do they have to roost? I have a bunch of babies not roosting but I have 11 1--3 year old red production hens. They sleep on the floor of coop a couple in nest boxes. Then I have 5 white leghorn maybe. They roost. I didn't raise these and the man I got em from had 5000 in a barn.....

They don't have to roost, just what chickens usually like to feel safe once they grow up....chicks like to huddle together on a flat surface.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Sounds like plenty of room and roost...sometimes it takes awhile for chicks to start roosting....I've found a 2x4 with the wide side up is the favorite roosting spot.

They don't have to roost, just what chickens usually like to feel safe once they grow up....chicks like to huddle together on a flat surface.

That is what they do...they all huddle together in the corner of the coop except for a few who make it up on the nesting boxes and huddle together up there.