When will the girls start using the roost?

[bertman]

UPDATE:

yesterday I removed the nesting boxes and straw from the coop.

We went out for dinner last night and when we came home after dark they were all lined up in a row against the end wall of the coop--butts to the wall, facing out. No one on the roost. I decided to leave them and see if this is a slow progression toward roosting.

This morning when I checked them (from our bedroom window) the dominant hen was sitting on the roost. First time I've seen any of them on the roost.YAAAYYYY!!

Tonight we'll be home to watch them when they go into the coop, so maybe I'll relocate them to the roost if they don't go there themselves.

 

[7L Farm]

Its monkey see monkey do. When you get one to roost the others will follow.

 

[DunindiditFarm]

My 12-week olds huddled together in the corner when I first put them in their coop. I was afraid they'd suffocate each other so I took a cat litter box, turned it upside down, placed it in the corner and they all piled on top of that. Then one morning I went into the coop and the three SS were roosting. The others continued to huddle on top of the litter box -- and a couple of weeks later I opened the coop door and all nine were roosting together. So my advice is to be patient. They'll get it...it's instinctive behavior.

 

[bertman]

Thanks for the additional replies.

Here's the latest: Monday night they went to the coop to settle in for the evening. Just before dark my wife started trying to catch a girl to put her on the roost. No luck. So she started herding them toward the roost end of the coop. Then I blockaded them from using their normal sleeping pile spot. Sooooo, they piled up under the roost. We left them for the night. Yesterday morning we found one of them on the roost but it could have been because they had been up since daybreak and were bored being blocked in to their little space.

Tonight we had major thunderstorms so they get to do whatever they want.

I'm starting to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.

 

[bertman]

Tonight they started out in their usual pile in the corner but when I checked them an hour ago they were all spread out in sleeping mode.

Not on the roost yet, but a step forward.

 

[bertman]

This morning my wife got up early and went out to the coop to see if the girls were up yet. Four of the six were on the roost!!

(In case anyone is following this saga)


These are my/our first chickens so it's big-time stuff for me. I hope I'm not being overly chicken crazy.

 

[kaybats]

Quote:
I'm a first-timer, too and I don't believe there is such a thing as "overly chicken crazy"!

Also, I have learned it's a patience thing....and it is certainly "chicken see, chicken do"

 

[Texas Willie]

My girls will be 7 weeks old tomorrow and have been in the hen house for 2 weeks. When I put them in the coop, I had a piece of plywood (about 24" high) that I used to close off half of the coop. Within a couple of days, they were flying up to the plywood and then to the 12' long roost, which is about 32" high.

There were a few that it took a little longer to reach to top roost, but they are all high and happy now.

One weird thing we have experienced, has to do with lighting. Since we don't want to leave them in the dark at night, we have tried a regular nite light and they absolutely go insane with just that turned on. So, we tried a 15w (60w output) curly bulb, same result...They DO NOT like either one!

So, since they "grew up" with a 250 watt infrared heat lamp, we turned that on and they could not be happier. They are all on the roost with a few minutes and settle down for the night.....Like I said...Weird huh?

TW

 

[bertman]

Thanks for the reassurance, kaybats! The folks at work probably think I'm nuts.

Texas Willie, we don't use any night lighting at all. Glad to hear your girls are doing well.

 

[Texas Willie]

Quote:
Yesterday, my wife found a "Party Bulb" fluorescent at WalMart and we swapped out the 250w bulb for that one...........Worked like a charm. Maybe it has something to do with the red color of the light. I really dunno, but whatever makes our girls happy, makes us happy.