Why won't my chickens use the roosting pole?

[ella&clara]

Hi
My 9 chickens are about 4 months old, in a chicken tractor with three next boxes and a roosting pole for the night and in a electronet fence (with access to the tractor) during the day. At first, they all slept in one nesting box. Now they have spread out to all three nesting boxes, and a few roost on the dividers of the nesting boxes. No one sleeps on the roosting pole, which is a rounded off 2x2 board. Are they too young? Any ideas on what I should do? They aren't laying yet, so all the poo in the nesting boxes isn't so bad, but it will become a problem soon. Thanks!

Mary Ann
Please visit my gardening (and chicken-keeping) blog at http://www.maryannscountrygarden.blogspot.com/

 

[allpeepedout]

Is a 2x2--presumably 8 or 9 ft. long for that many birds--sufficiently strong so that it feels secure--doesn't sag or vibrate--to have numerous hefty critters jump up on it? Is it too small, too rounded off--they are not really "perchers" and need a wider diameter or flatter surface. Is roost higher than nesting boxes? Does roost have plenty of space all around for them to jump up, sufficient head and tail room and room for all? Is it placed in an area that "feels" safe and secure?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Habit. They got into the habit of sleeping in nesting boxes and now....... The bad thing is that chickens pass a lot of poop while they sleep and they are likely making a mess of the boxes.

Roosts need to be higher than boxes. I agree that roosts should be 2x3 or 2x4 laid flat. Chicken's instinct tells them to sleep in the highest, safest place. I don't put nesting boxes in or allow access to them until point of lay. Don't want them getting the wrong idea of what they are for.

 

[pharr389]

At night, when they roost, pick them up and place them on the roost pole. Repeat every night until they roost on the pole by themselves. Also make sure the roost pole is higher than the nest boxes.

 

[greenSearcher]

Block of the nesting boxes with cardboard boxes. When their faces get red and they squat, remove the boxes and put golf balls/fake eggs (I have brown ceramic eggs I got from Premier1) in. That has worked really well for me. Even my silkies roost, how they get up on the highest roosts is another thing (18" and 26").

 

[Chicky 13]

Block of the nesting boxes with cardboard boxes. When their faces get red and they squat, remove the boxes and put golf balls/fake eggs (I have brown ceramic eggs I got from Premier1) in. That has worked really well for me. Even my silkies roost, how they get up on the highest roosts is another thing (18" and 26").

How do you tell if their faces are red ? they are covered in feathers lol