Is it normal for pullets to not roost?

[VA Lady]

I have 4 pullets that I think are around 3 months old. Their coop has an "upstairs" with a roost and nest box but they don't seem to have an interest in sleeping there at night. Instead they pile on top of each other in the front-most corner of the coop. There was a raccoon attack at the nest box a couple weeks ago on a night they had decided to sleep in the roost area (but still just in a pile and not on the perches). Could this have put them off sleeping there or is it just that chickens don't really roost until they're grown? This is a pic of the coop to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

 

[LarryPQ]

They will roost when they feel like it. Mine like to snuggle dog-pile-style as long as possible.

 

[MrRushed]

My younger hens used to stay on the floor in a group, they grew out of it and roost know.

 

[gryeyes]

Yup, the youngsters prefer to pile together. They will get up ON roosts during the day to feel like Big Chickens, but they don't realize that's where they are supposed to sleep.

I didn't learn how to balance well enough to ride a bicycle until I was *mumble* years old, so maybe it's the same thing: you want us to BALANCE on that thing whilst we SLEEP????

 

[floridamel]

Mine are about 4.5 months old. The two of them sleep smushed up next to each other inside a tin planter turned on its side in their cage (we put it there when they were chicks to keep in heat from the heat lamp). Then in the daytime, they come out into the yard and roost on our outdoor chairs

 

[VA Lady]

It is funny but in the morning they will go up to the roost area and hang around awhile. I'm not sure why it's good for morning but not at night - guess only a chicken understands these things...

 

[MrRushed]

I noticed with my little ones when they did first start roosting they were getting beat up a little by the others.
Do you have older birds too? If so that might be what's happening. They'll get bigger and get up there.

 

[felidaet]

My young flock is 7 - 10 weeks old. Until a couple of days ago they would practice sitting on the roost occasionally but they would usually sleep piled up on the floor. A few nights ago I decided it was time to turn off the night time heat lamp (I was only using it at night). I checked on them a short time latter and found 20 of the 23 birds on the roost! They were still there in the morning. They have been sleeping on the roost since then. The same thing happened with my other flock last year. The night I turned off the heat lamp they started sleeping on the roost.

 

[VA Lady]

Quote:
Nope, just the four young girls. Last night I had some sort of evil visitor (heard the panic on the monitor - hope he got a decent shock) and when I went out to check the girls had all retreated to the roost area. Maybe tonight they'll give it a try....

 

[myminicooper]

my 7 week old girls do the same thing so I'm glad I found your question. They play in the coop and on the roosts during the day, and when I let them out in the morning they are all up there, but they still sleep in a pile in the corner. I tried putting them up last night but that didn't work well, so I guess I'll just leave them well enough alone and hope they figure it out on their own.