Hens not roosting

[pansophia]

About a week and a half into our chicken keeping and the first couple of nights we had to move the hens up into the coop or onto the roosts but they seemed to have figured it out.

Now the last few nights they seem to be sleeping huddled together in a corner instead of on the roost. They hop up there for a while but then settle in to the corner. (I'm a dork with a webcam in the coop so I see them before the light turns off.)

Do we need to make them sleep on the roost or will they sleep wherever they are most comfortable? The roost is a 1x3 with slightly rounded edges. Maybe I need to round them more. It's about 16 inches off the ground and they don't have nest boxes yet.

It's been in the high 40s, low 50s at night the last few nights.

 

[Corey NC]

How old are they? If they are still young then they will figure it out sooner or later. If you really want to help them along go out there as it is getting dark and put them on the roosts often this will help them figure things out sooner.

 

[pansophia]

They are about three months old. Of course they seem to huddle in the furthest corner of the coop that I can't really reach without practically crawling in!

I got a wireless thermometer so I can monitor the temps in the coop at night.