when will they sleep on their roost?

[Carolina Chicken Man]

My B.O.'s are 13 weeks old? They still huddle together on the floor at night. I know they know how to get on the roost, I have seen them hangining out there in the morning before I let them out of the coop. But when I lock them up at night, they are huddled on the floor.

Also, I don't have my nest boxes built yet, when would I expect them to start laying eggs. 5 months?

 

[Anne]

Sometimes chicks that are raised by people (i.e., don't have a chicken mom to teach them what to do) need to be encouraged to use the roosts. Start picking them up and putting them all on the roosts at night. They'll catch on after a while.

You can probably expect them to start laying around 5-6 months. If they don't have nest boxes, they may get in the annoying habit of laying their eggs elsewhere.

 

[debakadeb]

Mine don't really go to the roost until it gets dusk. Maybe they go to the roost after you leave?

 

[gachickeeper]

My 9 week old BO's are still huddling together on the floor as well. They have three roosts and lots of nest boxes.

 

[momma's chickens]

I put all my new chickens this spring on the roost every night for about two weeks. Pain, yes but it definitely helps in the long run as they now roost on the roost and not in the nesting boxes or anywhere else. Sometimes by the time I put the last chicken on the roost the first one had jumped down. I just keep putting them on the roost, it helps if it is really dark in the coop too.

Good luck!

 

[Gindee77]

Be sure they have light of some kind so they can find the roosts. Mine were doing the same thing, but then I realized that they can't see when they go in at night if I don't leave the shed door open or the light on for them. If I do leave the door open, they will eat a bit then find the roosts before it's totally dark in the coop and mine all roost now. But of course, make sure the coop is secure before the sun goes down all the way so predators don't get your chickens!

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Out of my twelve assorted pullets, the Black Majorca started roosting when she was about 10 days old. The others started following her and began roosting way younger than I thought they would! I agree with putting them up on the roost after dark. They'll get the hang of it! (no pun intended)

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Does it really matter if they're on the floor?

 

[MayberrySaint]

Last year, after moving to the coop, mine huddled in the corner and over the span of about 4 weeks, they began to use the roosts. Don't worry about it.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

It took mine a few days to warm up to the new roosts. Luckily one of the roos decided he wanted to go up there and all the rest just followed his lead. They've been roosting ever since.