When do baby chicks begin sleeping on roosting poles?

[LesGan]

2 week old chick and momma hen have been sleeping in now opened door cage on floor of chix house. Tonight at dusk momma went to roosting pole in chix house, and baby followed her up and took a place right beside her on the pole. Momma shifted positions several times trying to get baby underneath her but couldn't find a postion that worked for her. After about 5 minutes momma hopped down and went in the cage with baby right after her settling in for the night. Question is....when can baby chick regular its temp well enought to sleep on roosting pole instead of being underneath momma? I had no idea that baby could flutter fly the 3 feet to get to the pole. Has made me rethink my "security" measures for chickie. Thanks, Leslie

 

[Jilara]

Koshi, our Dominique chick, started perching at about 3 weeks. She started out jumping up and sitting on mama's back, then worked up to perching on the lower poles. I think some of them are precocious. Koshi was also the one who was "first" at everything, and she seems to be the dominant chick now, at 6 weeks. She was flying a bit as soon as she had room (at 2 weeks). Your chick may be following a similar pattern. If it's fairly warm out, I wouldn't worry too much about her venturing off to perch on her own. If Koshi felt cold, she's scoot right back under mama.

 

[gritsar]

My first two girls started roosting on the side of their brooder at about 10 days old. After that it was Katie-bar-the-door. They became impossible to keep in the brooder as everyone wanted to roost on the draft guard surrounding it.

 

[morninggloryhatchery]

I would put it in at 2-3 weeks. Even if they don't roost up on it yet atleast they see it and eventually become curious and eventually roost on it

 

[eggdicted]

i have 7 day old barred rocks that about half of the 24 are roosting on a little branch i put in there brooder i think they all would if i put another stick in there

 

[PDXModChick]

Quote:
Ha... I remember the day I learned how good the babes were at flying! I came out the the brooding area in the garden shed and found a California White sitting up on the edge of the box. The large brood box is 36" high! I had to add a screen on the top of the box...!