roosting

[ffibyar]

Even though I thought I could figure this one out...... I can't.
Just a short history, I had 4 hens in my coop, and here in the last couple months I brought 11 of the chicks I had raised over the winter out to the coop also.
They are all together now but some if not all the dog gone new girls are cramming into the nesting box/boxes at night. I did a week of blocking the nesting boxes off and when I go out to open the boxes back up all or most of the new ones are roosting on the ground.
Now there are plenty of roosting spots because they are in the same coop that I had 80/90 layers in 3 or 4 years ago.
Should I keep blocking the box off at night? But then what do I do about them wanting to sleep in the ground?
Any help will be appreciated!!!

 

[aart]

How old are the chicks, in weeks?
Post a few pics of the roosts.

 

[ffibyar]

Right now they are 20 weeks old and as far as roost go I have several different ones. Probably 20 to 25 feet of flat 2x4 because here in Ohio that is what I do until it warms up and there are a few 2x2 roosts for them also.
I will go out to the coop and when I walk in during the day they are all sitting on the roosts. The other 4 girls have used the roost from day one.
That is another thing, the older girls go outside and into my field when I open the hatch door in the morning. The younger ones have no desire to go out.

 

[Yardmom]

What breeds are your pullets? How are the older girls treating them? Are there hiding places in the coop?

Personally I might put the new girls out in the mornings, so they get used to the scary big outdoors. I know you mentioned that the young girls roost during the day, but they might still need lifted on at night until they learn the routine. You may also need sight line blocks on the roots since the young girls are so timid.

 

[ffibyar]

Right now they are 20 weeks old and as far as roost go I have several different ones. Probably 20 to 25 feet of flat 2x4 because here in Ohio that is what I do until it warms up and there are a few 2x2 roosts for them also.
I will go out to the coop and when I walk in during the day they are all sitting on the roosts. The other 4 girls have used the roost from day one.
That is another thing, the older girls go outside and into my field when I open the hatch door in the morning. The younger ones have no desire to go out.

 

[ffibyar]

OK there are 6 Golden Buffs, 3 Silver laced Wyandot and 2 Easter egger of some sort. the original 4 are Easter eggers not by choice. They were some eggs I got from a farmer down the road and hatched them the spring before last.
The chicken get a long just fine and if I led on that they were timid they are not.
I have raised a bunch of chicken and know all of the introducing chicken thing, hiding places which that is over with now they mingle together all day except the time the big girls are outside. I have taken one outside the other day and just for safety reason put her in the run and she looked around a bit and went right back inside.
I have gone out there and see them sitting on the big girls roost before during the day.
I have low roost and high roost and have roosts with open air between and I have roosts up against a wall.
My coop is big so today I blocked off the area where they seem to like to sit on the ground at night off and see if that will not help. And block the nests off once I get the 3/4 eggs from the big girls.
Thanks!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Should I keep blocking the box off at night?

If they still want to sleep in the nests at night I'd keep blocking them off at night. I think that is a good move. I'd want the nests open during the day as 20-week-old pullets could start laying at any time. If they are not trying to sleep there I'd leave them open all the time.

But then what do I do about them wanting to sleep in the ground?

I'd do nothing. I don't see the problem with them sleeping on the ground. With your breeds they can get up to the roosts when they want to since the others did. They do during the day. They just don't want to sleep up htere yet. When they are ready they will start sleeping up there.

That is another thing, the older girls go outside and into my field when I open the hatch door in the morning. The younger ones have no desire to go out.

I don't understand this. It sounds like they have been in the coop for over a month and they still don't want to go out. Sounds like they have the opportunity. I understand this might get frustrating if you have to clean up after them. In Ohio you probably don't have a lot of green stuff outside but you'd think they's still want to go out in the field.

I have not faced anything that dramatic about them not going out. Usually after a few days they go out all day every day. I'd probably leave them alone until they figured it out but I can see where that is a bit frustrating.

 

[ffibyar]

Thank you for taking time and giving me your opinion. Appreciate it.
I will keep blocking the nest off. I have 6 nesting spots all in a line from when I had the 90 a few years ago so even when I open it up in the morning I only open 1 right now because that is enough for at least a week or 2 before the others start laying.
I guess it really doesn't matter me me where they sleep, I just never seen any of mine sleep on the ground before. Normally they try to get as high off the ground as they can,
The outside thing puzzles me as well. The 4 older girls as soon as that door is opened in the morning all of them are out and headed for the pasture. ( that being said I have the run door shut just incase the new ones do decide to go out they will know where to go back in in the evening.
I have the option of 2 separate runs. Once I repair the fence from not being used for a few years, the 2nd one I just open another man door into that one and maybe they will feel more comfortable going in and out of it. Then I will try to get them to go out the other door.
I have raised over 100 chicks from a day old or I either hatched them.
Once again thank you. Normally I am good at this stuff but this bunch has got me scratching my head. Ha! Ha!

 

[ffibyar]

Update on going outside. It's a little more than a month later and up until the other day I could not beg any of the new girls to come out into the run let alone outside of the run. Well yesterday I decided I would close the chicken door I have for them and get them 1 by 1 and move them to the run area and put some good scratch grain there for them to be interested in being out in at least the run.
Today I have 4 of ne new ladies outside of the run eating grass and what ever their little hearts desire!!! I am so dog gone happy for them!!!