A lot of my younger chickens just sleep huddled on the floor of my coop

[kdwag]

Maybe try a different size of roost? Not sure, I know I tried a roost post that was round, they hated it. I went to a wider roost, like 1 x 2, they liked it a lot better. Maybe it just isn't comfortable for them to roost.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

Ours are about 4 months old or so. Some roost, some don't. When I had the older ladies years ago, same thing, some roosted, some didn't. Just each chickens preference.

What I have alot of is my bantams hiding under the wings of standard chickens, roosters and hens. So funny to watch when they go to bed because they snuggle up under the wings of these big ones and the big ones don't seem to mind, settle down and go to sleep with their buddies underneath, even on the roost.

The oddest pair is a brown leghorn rooster (standard size) and a bantam gold spangled rooster. These two are best buds, have been since I bought them at TSC. From totally different bins. The eat together, sleep together and are always together. The little guy escaped the fencing yesterday and was frantic to get back in. His big buddy was running the fence line crying for his little friend just as frantic.

 

[lcammack]

We just put them on the roost for a couple of nights, and they generally catch on. Our latest batches only took two nights of putting them on the roost before they caught on. We use 2" x 4"s laying flat, so they roost on the 4" wide part and they seem to like it that way. Good luck.

 

[Dougy]

My Chicks started doing the same thing. I had a roosting pole about 3 feet off the floor. I laid a walk board up to the roosting pole. Several walked the board. The rest I set them on the roosting pole after dark. About 3 nights and they will roost on the pole on their own.

 

[Bean789]

My Chicks started doing the same thing. I had a roosting pole about 3 feet off the floor. I laid a walk board up to the roosting pole. Several walked the board. The rest I set them on the roosting pole after dark. About 3 nights and they will roost on the pole on their own.

aha! A walk up board! Why didn't I think of that!?!? Did they eventually learn to get up there without it or did that become an access habit?

 

[Ankhdad]

My pullets are 8 weeks old and also sleep in a pile, unfortunately, in a space that would be their nest boxes in a few months-not sure how to cure that habit but oddly, they roost during the day.

lol...mine where doing the same thing. I made a 'lean-to' with some chicken wire on the sides and put it in the spot where the nest will end up. Works great, however, now they are all huddled by the coop door...oh well.

 

[henless]

I use a 2x4, flat side up for my roost. It's about 4 ft off the ground, so I have a ladder for them to use. Some use the ladder, some fly up. Same with coming down, some use the ladder, some fly down.

At first, they wouldn't roost at night. They would all huddle in the corner and sleep. They would get up there during the day and hang out, but come night fall, to the corner they went. I went out there at dusk every night and placed them all on the roost. Each night there would be a few more up on the roost, until eventually they all started roosting. It took about a week, but they all got the hang of it.