When?

[orpingFun]

I'm new here & I have many questions. What I really want to know is when does a baby chick begin perching?

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

BYC has a very useful learning center

 

[Basskids08]

Hello and ! You can find some useful information on your state thread, click here and look for your state, https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you and info on your little chicks, https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/11/raising-baby-chicks.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

I get mine started early in the brooder and put small branches in there right away. Around 2 weeks of age, I put a 1x2 in there for them to roost and play on. This really helps to transition them to the coop as they learn to roost early on and you don't have to train them to roost in the coop. I have some chicks in the brooder right now that are 3 weeks old today and two nights ago, they all roosted on the bar over night.

If you haven't started them with a roost bar in the brooder and they are out in the coop, you can either let them figure it out themselves or when you go out at night to close them in, get them up on the bar. They may keep jumping down, but keep doing this in the dark for a few nights and they will eventually get the hint.

Close off all nest boxes so they can't sleep in the boxes instead of roosting on the bar.

Good luck with your chicks and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! TwoCrows gave you some good information, a lot of it depends on how much of a chance you give them to learn to perch in the brooder. I usually don't do anything special with mine and just let them figure out the perches in the coop on their own, usually by about six weeks they are really really wanting to perch... if they are with a broody hen, they will pretty much follow her and perch at whatever age they are when she goes back to roosting.