Almost 7mo chickens still not roosting at night

[ShadyHillFarm]

Is this normal?? They do roost. We have two perches both a 2x4, one about 3 feet off the ground, the other about 4.5-5ft. They are free range, but every night when I go to shut up the coop, they're all huddled together in the corner. I thought they should be roosting by now.

 

[HS Pye]

We've had that happen before. What I do is putting them on the perch at night so they wake up and think it's what they naturally did. After a couple tries they finally learned. Hope this helps!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

That sorta thing happens with my chickens too. There isn't something wrong with them or anything, I think they just prefer to cuddle on the ground then to roost.

 

[chfite]

I had six that slept on the floor in a pile until they started to lay, then they started to roost.

Chris

 

[ShadyHillFarm]

I had six that slept on the floor in a pile until they started to lay, then they started to roost.

Chris

Well, that's another issue altogether. Almost 7mo and they haven't laid yet.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I have 10 Black Australorps that are over 1 1/2 years old that still prefer to huddle in a group on the ground.
If it doesn't bother them, it doesn't bother me

 

[1kokikoki]

I raised my Americauna chicks from 1 day hatchlings. The brooder was in my house. When I moved them out to the coop at 8 weeks old they all did the same thing huddling in a corner on the ground closest to my house. After losing 2 of them to predators I was worried. My coop is pretty well predator proof except for small rats and sparrows or snakes, nothing bigger than that can get in. I think they are trying to be as close to the only real home and flock they know. Me. So I added 2 new roosts about 2 feet off the ground in the corner nearest my house where they have been huddling. They did not use it the first night, but I am glad to report they are using it now. Here in Arizona we have carnivorous rodents . They can chew off the juvinile poultry head and drag the body off in a corner. Maybe moving the roosting spot in the coop closer to you might help.