What Age do Chicks start to Roost?

[HudspethsHens]

When I put my big girls out in their coop at about 8 weeks old, at first they would all huddle together in a corner. The coop we had purchased had the roost a low to the coop floor so my husband raise it. At the advice of my brother, I went out every night for 5 nights in a row at dusk and put each one up on the roost until they got the message .
For our 3 week old chicks we have a small roost and they loves to perch all together.

 

[AngieDawn]

Mine were on their little perch at 3 days old and loved it

 

[Gullygarden]

most of mine have learned early. However I got a pretty orpington hen as an adult and she still prefers to sleep on a shelf - I guess its harder to learn late in life. Even if I go in and put her on the perch with the others, she never learns to do it on her own. The rest learned as chicks.

 

[TwoCrows]

I start mine on learning to roost at their first week, widening the roost as they grow. That way when they are moved out to the coop, roosting is natural.

 

[Chloejay]

I know this is an old post, but I just saw my chicks jump up on the roost tonight with their mum. The roost is about 1.2 meter high and the chicks are 19 days old. They went straight under mum though.

 

[oldhen2345]

I put a dowel in the brooder box at about 2 weeks old and they take to it pretty quick. At 4 weeks, I remove the heat source and put another dowel up a little higher. At 6-7 weeks, they go outside into the baby barn. There is plenty of room to snuggle in the dirt and also a roost with a dog kennel for a coop. They took to it immediately.

Now, at 12 weeks, the silly things still sleep in the baby barn instead of the big coop. They roost on top of the kennel. I have even removed the board roost and they still get up there.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Now, at 12 weeks, the silly things still sleep in the baby barn instead of the big coop. They roost on top of the kennel. I have even removed the board roost and they still get up there.

Do you want them to move into the coop instead of the "baby barn" or do you not care where they sleep? If you close up access to the baby barn or remove it they'll be forced to roost elsewhere.

 

[oldhen2345]

Do you want them to move into the coop instead of the "baby barn" or do you not care where they sleep? If you close up access to the baby barn or remove it they'll be forced to roost elsewhere.

I went out there late last night and they were all in the coop- finally. I can clean out and close up the baby barn. I really like them to be all in one coop, but safety first- some of the big girls are mean. I usually let them decide when to make the move, but most have always moved before 12 weeks. I only had one other batch that I had to physically move into the coop after dark for a few days before they did it themselves.

 

[oldhen2345]

I know this is an old post, but I just saw my chicks jump up on the roost tonight with their mum. The roost is about 1.2 meter high and the chicks are 19 days old. They went straight under mum though.

That is sooo sweet.

 

[Coops Dad]

My last bunch of Ameracaunas began to use the roost at about 3 months; I use a 2x4 on the wide side so they can roost flat footed. I currently have two coops with 2=roosters and 18 hens and a chicken tractor with a mix of 12 pullets and 2 cockerels set up with the same 2x4 roost setups and the chickens prefer it over the 2x2's I used before. Two of the pullets don't like being inside of the tractor coop so they "roost" on a brace for the frame under the coop. It's a 2x4 with the wide side up.