What Age do Chicks start to Roost?

[Happy Chooks]

Depends. I've had some birds not roost until they were 20 weeks. I currently have 1 week old babies that made it 12 inches up to a nesting box to be with momma hen. It's an individual thing.

 

[SassyKat6181]

I used some 1/2" x 1" scrap and nailed two pieces onto 2" x 6"s. Here's what they think....

 

[pirtykitty]

my three are about 6 weeks old.. they hop on their roost off and on during the day and again when they go in before dark... but are still sleeping on the floor or in one of the two nesting boxes.. I have news paper down in the nesting boxes with leaves and or shavings in them...

 

[KIDDSBANTAMS]

Mine started roosting at a couple days old and they would also sleep on the floor but at about 3 weeks old they sleep on the big roost at night also.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Hubby just mentioned tonight that some of the 6 week olds are starting to use the roost while the rest are still in a huddle in the corner.

 

[tiffanyg2]

Mine started completely roosting at 2 weeks! When they were about 1 week old I put this little huddle house in and they immediately started jumping up on it. So they start pretty early!

 

[Desertduck]

I have a EE with 2 chicks about 2 1/2 weeks old, and a few days ago, I caught one of the babies trying to get up to the "Big Girls" Roost. With encouragement from Momma. I have some really cute pics on my page is youd like to see the tiny little girls up so high with the "big Girls"

 

[Bantam Babes]

I'm not sure if this is normal. But I bought a batch of chicks ranging from 2 days to about 6 days id say. None had their tail feathers yet and all of them have experimented with the roost but there are two that actually sleep on it and have been since the day I got them. One even tucks her head into her lil wing already. Usually what I've experienced before though is the chicks start chillin on the roost between 2-3 weeks and are sleeping on it the majority of the time around 5 weeks.

 

[wildirishman64]

My white rocks are six weeks and I've had roosting poles since week 2, still on the floor of hen house lol. They roost during the day on poles but haven't at night.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Well mine are about 2 months old and then I have another group 2 weeks behind those. Most all of them is on the roost now but just started a few days ago. I have about 8 or so black ones still piling up on the floor along with 1 rir which is older than the black ones. Anyway it chooses to sleep there sometimes and then sometimes on the roost. LOADS of pushing and shoving going on on the roost. EVERYONE wants to be on the top row. lol You couldn't squeeze another one up there every night. It's quite a hoot!