Chickens wont roost.

[Molders]

I have three chickens and have them over a month now. They insist on sleeping on the floor of their coop not on the roost bar. I don't really mind if that's where they rather be but I wonder why? has anyone seen this before and do they eventually want to sleep up higher? Thanks

 

[RRIRMom]

I have two 9 week old RIR hens. They insisted on sleeping on the floor in the corner. I tried for several days to put them on the perch I made from a tree post. They would panic and flap down. I decided to give up and let them continue to sleep on the ground.

We had a rain storm a couple of days ago and even though the coup/run is covered, I found them sitting on the make shift ladder. Last night when I checked on them, they were sleeping on the perch. I feel if it wasn't for the rain, they would still be sleeping on the floor.

Perhaps your chickens will eventually find sleeping on the roost is better or like me, rain will encouraging them.

 

[DaveK88]

My hens did the same thing in the beginning. eventually they do figure it out. My rooster refused to sleep inside the coop at first. I would come home from work at midnight and he would be sleeping on the top of the coop. I would have to grab him and put him in the coop. He figured it out too.Now they all sleep in the coop on the roost. Just give them some time to figure it out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are they? It’s pretty normal for chicks to sleep on the floor until they mature enough to go to the roosts. Most of the time my brooder raised chicks don’t start sleeping on the roosts until they are 10 to 12 weeks old. Some have been a lot earlier but some have also been a lot later.

Are they “rescue” hens from an egg producing operation? A lot of times those hens have never had the opportunity to learn how to roost. If you want you can put them on the roost after dark and see if they want to move up there on their own.

Do you have other chickens? Sometimes dominant chickens will be so brutal on the roosts that the ones getting picked on find a safer place to sleep.

There are several different things that might be going on. I don’t know enough about your situation to even be able to make a good guess. It probably doesn’t really matter where they sleep. If you are OK with it, things are OK.

 

[Molders]

Thanks for all your replies! My chickens are at point-of-lay and I know they came from a breeder that had them in a big barn on the floor with shavings. I only have the three of them and there is one big empty roost beam and they all just look funny on the floor. My sister has huge big turkeys that insist on roosting so it is funny my elegant little hens don't!! I don't mind...maybe as you say...in time they might work it out! thanks everyone!