Do they need to be on a roost?

[nuchickontheblock]

We have an a-frame type coop and on one side about 15" down from the roof line there is a shelf. our three pullets like to go up there and sleep. At one point my husband put up a rounded roost pole at about the same height and tried to put them on that to roost, but they didn't seem interested. Any reason we should try to get them to roost elsewhere (except for the poo on the shelf that needs to get cleaned out regularly), or are they ok snuggled together on the shelf?

I had read something about in the winter they need to sleep with their bodies on their feet to keep them warm. I know it's 80 now, but eventually it will get cold up here in Maine. If we need to train them to sleep on a pole type roost, I'd just as soon do it now.
Thanks

 

[gryeyes]

If they're sleeping on a shelf, you can bet their feet are underneath them and being kept just as toasty as they would be if they were on a flat roost bar. Better than on a round roost bar, in fact.

A-Frame coops are hard to build with enough head and wing space for chickens to roost comfortably.

Why not let them sleep on the shelf? (Other than having to clean up the poop there.)