Roost

[lnzyloo]

I recently got my first chickens. I'm really enjoying them! They are about 6 months old and never had a coop, they just lived in a fenced in chicken run. I introduced them to my coop the first night and they seem to have adjusted to it because since then, they go right in there as soon as it starts to get dark. The coop has 2 roosts in it, but they don't seem to use them. Whenever i go out to check on them, they are all laying on the floor of the coop. Is this normal? I thought chickens preferred to sleep up on a roost. Maybe they never looked up and don't realize its there? They had roosts in the chicken run that they came from. Should I go out of my way to try to put them up on the roost, or just let them be?

 

[dsbailey70]

Hi! I'm new to raising chickens too. From what I've seen (of mine), they'll get on the roost when they want to. My new ones sleep on the floor in the roost too. A flat roost bar (like a 2"x2" etc) may work better for them, and help them relax if they're on it. On a round bar, they have to keep a right grip on it, or risk falling off.