Why won't they roost?? Please help!

[addicted2chicks]

I have been trying to get my chicks to roost at night. When I go to close the coop door at night they are all huddled in a corner. I start to get them one by one on the roost, some fly down as soon as I put them up. Some will stay for a while but eventually as I put a chick up another jumps down. I can't get them all to go to roost. Is there a trick? How do you get them to stay? All my guineas have done it on their own, I never had to teach them it's just the chicks. As you can see by my signature I have alot of chicks and it takes alot of time trying to get them all up.

 

[goldnchocolate]

How old are your chicks? My chicks liked to lay in a big pile until they were 3-4 months old and then they began to use the roosts. I think it's just a matter of maturity.

 

[addicted2chicks]

Ok, that makes me feel better. They are only about 6-7 weeks old. I thought maybe they didn't like the roost we built so we are planning on building another, but maybe it isn't the roost itself.

 

[tygab]

Last year ours slept on the floor after moving to the coop for maybe a week. I don't remember exactly. Eventually though they did figure out the roosts were a better option. As long as they can get to the roosts, I'd suggest you just give it some time.

 

[finnleyjo]

My girls (8 wks I think) just moved out to their new coop last night. In their brooder box we had a couple of little roosts, and they would spend the night on them. But when my dh went out this morning he said they were all huddled together on the floor.

It might have been because it was a little cooler in their coop than in the garage, or because they were scared. I'm betting they will start using their roosts again in a week or two once the shock of their new home has worn off.

 

[citrusdreams]

My chicks roost in the day and sleep on the ground in a pile of feathers at night. My last hatching did that too. I don't remember when they finally roosted at night, but they will eventually on their own, so don't worry

 

[Backyard Hencam]

Could they be cold?

Our six week olds all use their roosts. We started with small 4"logs on the floor of their brooder and they loved them (perching on them in the day and roosting on them at night). I think it made the transition to higher roosts easy. You could try a log first. We shaved off the bottoms to create a flat part so they wouldn't roll. Yours will be up there before you know it!