Peculiar Chicken Behavior

[saphire123456]

So I recently got a new batch of chickens and i check on them during the day and they're just sitting on the perch. All day. They come down when I bring them treats or food, and sometimes they do venture out to free range, but mostly they just sit on the roost. WHY? They're young, and according to the person i got them from, this is about the time they're expected to start laying eggs. This is my 2nd batch of chickens so i'm still puzzled by things out of chicken norm.
Thank you, fellow chicken keepers

(The pic is not them, but my previous chicken friends)

 

[enola]

Did you put them in with chickens you already had?

 

[saphire123456]

Nope, they got the whole giant chicken coop all to themselves

 

[aart]

How long have you had them......it can take a week or so for them to comfortable to start exploring farther from the coop.

 

[saphire123456]

About a month and a half. could they be scared of something?

 

[aart]

That is strange...I don't know...bribe them out with treats?
Maybe something did spook them while they were ranging.

Odd that they would roost all day tho.

 

[azygous]

How old were these chickens when you brought them home and installed them in the coop?

What were their living quarters like where they came from? Did they have an outdoor run? Was it covered by any chance, if they did have outdoor quarters?

My guess is they aren't used to free-ranging, and being without cover is uncomfortable for them.

Now, if they free-ranged out in the open before coming to live with you, I can only assume that they need more time before they feel secure enough to leave the safety of the coop.