What age did you add your first roost?

[elehman]

My 3 week old BOs are flying around a bit... I'm thinking they would like a roost in the brooder. But with 25, I am not sure if putting a roost in will just piss them off because only the top dogs will get space??

 

[chicksntexas]

I added a roost when they were about 2 weeks...I only have 4 tho, 1 is a month and 3 are 3 weeks. They seem to take turns sleeping & knocking each other off...lol guess it depends on the day (or minute) but they like it.

 

[CupOJoe42]

How about a tree branch, so they can practice hopping on and off?

 

[JodyJo]

I always have had some...I built a ladder type roost, see pic...out of tree branches...they never squabbled...this one has 4 rungs, they hop on the first then second to get to the top two.

first come, first served...you will need something in there to keep them occupied and from sleeping in their own poo.

You can also add a few shorter ones, tree branches that are in your yard, logs etc.

 

[MarinMama]

Mine have had a roost since they first came...orginally it was only about 1.5 inches off the ground...then around 2 weeks it was 4 inches off the ground. now they are 7 weeks oold and are about 18 inches and 3 feet off the ground (coop is only 4 feet tall).

 

[Arielle]

I used scaps of wood to make a roost for all 25 to fit. 1 x 1 pine about 3-4 feet--used 2 of these, and screwed them onto 10 x 12 x 2's one square at each end. They love it, and there's enough room not to fight. This is just for the babies.

oops---at about 2 weeks they are looking for a roost, at least some of them are.

 

[zebserema]

my two week olds are roosting but not all night long

 

[jenkassai]

I added a couple of branch perches I bought at the pet store at about 1 week. Silly, but I was worried that maybe branches from my trees would have bugs on them? Whatever, I'm an obsessive worry-wart

Anyways, I just felt like they would like something to investigate, they started using it immediately, hopping on and off, doing a balancing act on it as they tried to walk on it, they really loved it. I actually had one end on the ground and the other end resting on the top of my Ecoglow. Then shortly after that I put a piece of wood with a rounded edge on the top of the "legs" of the Ecoglow. They LOVE it! They really like hopping up there and then testing their wings out to see how far they can get. Now that they are 2.5 weeks I do see them napping on it occasionally, although at night time they still snuggle under or at the edge of the Ecoglow. They younger chicks (1.5 week) are hopping on and off it as well.

 

[mljohnson05]

I have had a roost since they were 1 day old...I just start it really low to the ground and moved it up or added more as they got older

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

I have had young ones in th ebrooder perch on the feeders to sleep at just days old. My sizzle slept with the silkies for a long time and at a year old decided roosting with the Serama was more her thing.