Roosts?? Do I have to show my chickens where the roost is?

[doIreallylikeeggsthismuch]

I have 17 chickens. I have about 15 feet of Roost at different levels. The roosts are only about 1 1/2" wide. Only about 3 chickens will get up on the roosts. I have a nice poop board and everything under them. The chickens like to roost on the poop board or on the nesting boxes. I don't like them roosting in or on the nesting boxes because they make such a mess. My chickens are almost 8 weeks old. Any suggestions or do they just need to get bigger? Are my roosts too thin? They have a great ladder that goes up to them and I have seen several use it. Just looking for some ideas!! Thanks

 

[gryeyes]

My sixteen week old pullets still sleep together in a pile. They like to go get on the roosts and hang out there for a time during the day, but they're not into sleeping there at all.

I think it's a grown up chicken thing. At least in MY experience.... I don't remember when my grown up chickens started roosting on bars at night. Sorry!

 

[sandiatonimarie]

Makes me feel better at least. Mine are sixteen weeks too and doing the same thing - sleeping in pile together. I have a roost that they all tried to sleep on the third night they were in their new run/hen house area. But it was outside in their run and I didn't want them to get in habit of sleeping outside, so I put everyone in the hen house, where there was a roost even higher than the outside one - nobody uses it. Silly chickens! Loveable, but silly.