Young Hen Roosting Issues

[fsudiane]

Hi All
I am a newbie with 6 hens who are 10 weeks old now. About a week ago some of my hens discovered a roosting bar that’s at the top of the coop and have preferred roosting there instead of the bars that were lower down that they were roosting on for the past few weeks. My concern is that one of my babies isn’t roosting with them and sleeps by herself in a different part of the coop. Is this normal for some hens? I feel really bad for her and my first instinct is to pick her up and put her up where the others are, but she must not want to be up there or else she would be, right?

 

[CannedMonster]

She would go up there if she wanted to.
Is there enough space for them all up there?
She may be the lowest in the pecking order and may never roost really close to the others.
Also check her to make sure she doesn’t have any injuries that might prevent her from going up there.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
One of my birds still sleeps in one of the nesting boxes.

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens want to be on the highest available roost; some of mine are eight feet up in the coop rafters!
They need plenty of space to fly up there, and your solitary pullet may be lowest in the pecking order, or a bit weaker than the others, and just not be able to get up there.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Mary

 

[RWise]

I put ladders in my coop for the chicks to get up, but the chicks dont use them the older birds do. I would not worry to much,

 

[fsudiane]

This helps! I can’t tell yet what the pecking order is because they all seem to be on their best behavior when I’m with them. Ha ha But she is definitely one of the smallest hens so maybe that’s it. I won’t worry about it anymore. Thanks!