when do they roost??

[crumptz]

My 5 chicks are 6 weeks old. They have all their feathers and are healthy. They live in a safe coop and it has a roost bar about 18 inches off the ground... I don't have a lamp in the coop and I don't have heat. I am south of San Francisco and the weather is high 60s-70's at this point.
Problem is, at night they all come in the coop and huddle together in the shavings in the corner. They CAN get on the roost bar. I have seen them on it in the morning... but they look so darn pathetic at 8pm just shoved in the corner.

 

[mcarroll616]

I don't know an answer to the question, but my chicks are out for the first night tonight. When I went to go check on them, they were all huddled together in the corner too. I was sorta sad they weren't roosting! I am brand new at this, but maybe because that is what they are used to doing in the brooder? I hope they use the roosts soon!

 

[jaj121159]

They will move onto the roost when they are ready. Rarely is it the first few days in the coop unless they had roosts in their brooder or grow out pen. It will take a few days. They are in a new environment and haven't figured out how everything works yet.

 

[mcarroll616]

mine have been in the coop for a month now, and just started roosting on top of the nesting boxes. Kinda bugs me because they have plenty of decent roosts that we spent time putting up. We even have a temporary one on cinder blocks in case the others are too high that I don't think they ever used... but at least they are out of their huddle in the corner