5 month pullets wont roost despite efforts - advice?

[LizzzyJo]

I have two 5-month old pullets who wont roost despite my best efforts. They have always preferred to sleep in the nest boxes. If it is dark and I put them on the roost, then evidence suggests they stay there (evidence is 10-minute check and pullet egg on the floor under the roost). I don't want to block off the nest boxes because the other girls use them and the new pullets are using them for their new baby eggs. They were bullied a bit, but pinless peepers fixed that two months ago. I have put them on the roost 3 times with a few days in between, but I can't go out there every night and do it. They really don't like being collected and get very upset being caught. I hate fighting with them over this because it makes them wary of me during the day - and my other hens are lap hens, so it would be so sad.

Help?! I would love some advice on how to get my stubborn babies to roost! Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Block off nests shortly before dusk, and then unblock later at night when it's completely dark and they're (hopefully) settled on the roosts. That way the nests are still available next morning but they're not available at the time they're heading in for bed.

 

[aart]

Block off nests shortly before dusk, and then unblock later at night when it's completely dark and they're (hopefully) settled on the roosts. That way the nests are still available next morning but they're not available at the time they're heading in for bed.

This^^^ is what I do.
I added a hinged cover to the nest bank so it's easy to do.
Helpful when I have a broody too.


How old are the older birds?
How long have these 5mo's been in the flock?
Pis of your coop showing roosts might help here.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Lets recap some high points. They are 5 months old and you are finding pullet eggs under the roost when they do roost, so it sounds like at least one is just starting to lay. They've always slept in the nests and were previously bullied. You cannot go out there every night to block and unblock nests or set them on the roosts. You have older hens that are laying. Did I get something wrong?

They really don't like being collected and get very upset being caught. I hate fighting with them over this because it makes them wary of me during the day - and my other hens are lap hens, so it would be so sad.

I think you are being too sensitive here. You can train them to be lap chickens once they learn to roost. Sometimes you need to be firm.

Some information on what you have to work with could be really helpful here. How big is the coop, in feet? How much roost space do you have and how are they oriented to the nests, mainly height but physical proximity info could help. You never know where clues could come from. Photos showing layouts could really really help.

Since they have always been bullied makes me wonder about space, do you have enough. I've seen you on the forum but I can't remember what you have. That's not just about square feet per bird, layout plays a part. My pullets tend to not sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they mature enough to joint the pecking order, which is usually around the time they start to lay. Yours may solve that problem naturally as they seem to be getting close to that point. But they are in the habit of sleeping in the nests, you may need to break that habit.

What I think could be happening is that even if they try to roost with the big girls while it is still light enough for them see to get up there, they are getting pecked and bullied even with the pinless peepers, or they are still too afraid to even try. Other than the nests, what alternative do they have to sleep where the adults won't bully them? That's the type of thing I'd look for. Can you add a safe place that is higher than the nests yet well away from the bullies? That would be my first step. It's only two pullets, they don't need a lot of roost space.

I understand that some people's schedules don't allow them to always be home at dark. That limits opportunities to retrain them, you can't be consistent and you do want the nests open for the older hens so you don't retrain them to lay somewhere else. You can only do the best you can. My thoughts are, after you make sure they have a safe place away from the hens (if you can do that) then either block off the nests and force them to sleep somewhere else or move them to the safe place after dark on the nights that you can. I can't come up with anything better.

Good luck!

 

[LizzzyJo]

@rosemarythyme @aart @Ridgerunner

Thank you all!!

My henhouse is 6x4 and 3.5' high with a high pitch (henhouse is just for sleeping and laying). Nest boxes just a bit above floor level. I have two roost bars - one about 1' from the ceiling and one about 1' below that, but not directly below it. They free range dawn to dusk about 5 days/wk. They have a walk-in covered run that is about 8x6.

The coop is raised off of the ground and I can't walk into it. I have to lean all the way in to get at the back wall and even then I need to crawl into the coop or use a stick to get to the back (design flaw on my part).

If I block off the boxes, they sleep on the floor in an inaccessible corner to me. I have to lean in and they see me and run like banshees.

They do get a bit pecked nowadays, but not bad. Just the normal 'get out of my space, baby'. The big girls are 2-4 years old. Only two girls peck them at all and they could choose to roost far away from them.

If I try to move them when I'm locking up, there is enough light that they hop down right away. I have to go back after lock-up and move them. So, light is an issue.

Besides the two roost bars, I have no current alternative. I could reconstruct my look-don't-touch, but there is only a very low roost option during that phase.

Edit:

I never have more than 8 grown birds.

 

[LizzzyJo]

This^^^ is what I do.
I added a hinged cover to the nest bank so it's easy to do.
Helpful when I have a broody too.


How old are the older birds?
How long have these 5mo's been in the flock?
Pis of your coop showing roosts might help here.

I forgot to mention in the longer response that the babies have been with the flock since 5.5 weeks old (3 weeks of look-dont-touch), then fully incorporated.

 

[aart]

Doesn't look like it would be too hard to slide a board across the nests entrances.
Cover an hour before roosting time, the uncover when locking up after dark.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Doesn't look like it would be too hard to slide a board across the nests entrances.
Cover an hour before roosting time, the uncover when locking up after dark.

Ok I will do that! Thank you! What should I do if they just lay on the ground?

 

[aart]

Ok I will do that! Thank you! What should I do if they just lay on the ground?

I would have put them on the roost long ago,
but that may be hard with your coop configuration.
Can you reach the far wall and roost from your access doors?

 

[LizzzyJo]

I would have put them on the roost long ago,
but that may be hard with your coop configuration.
Can you reach the far wall and roost from your access doors?

I can reach the top roost easily, the bottom roost on my tiptoes - but I can't reach the back wall without crawling in. This is why I try to tell everyone on here to build a bigger coop from the get-go. The henhouse is built to withstand the apocalypse and none of the issues are 'enough' to build another. But they add up to be quite annoying.