I have 29, 8 week old chickens and to date none of them roost, preferring to stay on the floor of the coop at night. I have placed several on the roost poles at night but they fly down as soon as I leave. Is this a learned trait or does it just come natural and take time.

Along the same vein, I have several that do not come into the coop at night. I have to go check and physically pick them up (off the ground) and put them in the coop. I have been shutting them up at night thinking that its only a matter of time before a fox/coon/possum discovers an easy meal.

Thanks

Roosting takes a while to become a habit. I have two RIR hens who are over two years old now who insist on roosting on the floor or in a nest. I have put them on the roost nearly every night for the last two years, and they still don't get it. If your roost is not too high, they will begin to use it after a while, but 8 weeks is probably quite a bit too young.
For the ones you have who do not come inside, I would put them in and keep everyone closed up for a week or more. It's just too dangerous to roost outside, especially on the ground. Keep them in for a while to teach them the habit that they must be in at night. After confining them, try letting them out just before roosting time a couple of days, and observe them to make sure they all go in. Throwing a little scratch down at roosting time will encourage them to come in for it. I can call the chickens about that time of evening, and they come running because they know they will get a treat inside the coop.

My chicks usually start roosting at 6-7 weeks of age, depending on when I give them their own little board to use. Usually its only about 6 inches high, but I slowly raise it as they get older. My old hens are roosting at the hight of about 5-6 feet and would go higher if I let them. The wild Red Jungle Fowl that live in my backyard rooster higher than my house!

Hey Josh, I read an earlier post of yours that said you have wild jungle fowl in a park near where you live. Do you live in the U.S. or overseas somewhere?

I've got two young Araucauna that I bought at the poultry show and neither one of them will go in the coop, even when it's raining. I have to go out every night and put them in. I know they must have lived in a coop because they are so healthy and their feathers are wonderful. I just wish they would get in it on their own.

I live in the U.S., although some of our citizens don't want to be a state. I personally love being American and all that, its just that the way the government "got" us was kind of cruel and totally insensitive.

I read in a magazine some funny stories by someone who raises chickens and they said their chickens would want to roost outside in a tree even when there was a tornado.

Sounds like you might be Hawiian. Or Alaskan. The American people as a whole I think forget what intruders we were here in the beginning. But then again we weren't American then, we were British! I'm talking about the mainland here.

We were certainly "American" by the time Alaska and Hawaii "joined" the union. I still think we live in the best country on the planet, besides maybe Norway. They have it really nice over there. Nothing against the Europeon Countries either. They have been around alot longer than we have, more time to get it right.

They get along better than we do really, when you think about it. There are so many different peoples and languages, and yet they manage to work together. The Euro (their new money) is a prime example.

Oops, there I go off on a tangent. We're supposed to be talking about Chickens!! ;-)

How about Puerto Rico? But Hawaii sounds more like it??CJR

I live in the Hawaiian Islands...although I think it would be cool to live in Puerto Rico.

Josh, Aloha, Thought so! Just had an inquiry for Dutch Bantams from Hawaii. I could mail them from here, but I am sold out, and won't have any more ready to mail for 4-5 months! We have snow now, but you have it too on the volcano tops==skiing, too! Doubt it is any where near as cold as here--ever!! Aloha, CJR

Yep, there is snow up on the volcano, especially since its been pouring rain for several days. I heard they also have hail.

Hi Josh, yeah, I thought you were in Hawaii too. Are you a native Hawaiin or a recent transplant from the mainland?