Chickens Roost Close Together

[BonnieBlue]

This may be a stupid question, and is out of sheer curiosity. (I'm a chicken noob, and their behavior fascinates me.)

I have 5 pullets, 11 weeks old today. Their two roosting bars are a little over 4 feet long. When I peek in at them at night after they have gone in to get settled on their roosts, all 5 are taking up only maybe a little over a third of the top roosting bar. I literally have to count their feet to see if they are all there. They are so close to each other, it is just one big squish of feathers.

Is this normal? Even before it started cooling down into the 70's at night, they were roosting on top of each other. Do they start spacing out as they get older? It doesn't worry me, but I was surprised to see that they still just want to be so close to each other, and not have more "personal space".

 

[21hens-incharge]

As they get older that behavior will stop. Once they start laying and their personalities mature they will want more room. I have a few myself that refuse to roost next to specific other members of the flock. They can be quite brutal and Peck each other in vying for that favorite spot. Yours are still young enough they are kind of making a chick pile but it's on a roost.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Young chickens like to pile on top of each other. It's harmless and natural

 

[BonnieBlue]

Thanks for the replies. When they nap in the sun, it is one big pile, but it never dawned on me they would do that on the roost.

I love watching these girls. Between natural behavior, and antics, they are a delight to have around