what are my chickens doing!!!

[t&a]

I have 6 8wk old girls, who moved out to their coop 3wks ago. We put a stick in the brooder with them right up from day one, and a roost in the coop, but so far they have yet to use the roost. They do however roost on all sorts of other things in the yard (chairs, fence tops, rain barrell etc.) So every night at bedtime instead of going on the roost, they huddle into the corner of the coop and make a big "chicken pile". They are quite vocal about the whole thing. I wish IL had a video bc it's pretty funny watching them squirm all over the place and try to get into the best place in the pile. Maybe they're cold, it's been 50-60 here in new england these past couple of weeks. I try putting them on the roost at night, and they fly right back over to the corner. Any ideas?

 

[Mervin]

I'm not exactly sure what they're doing, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Mine did that as well and had me befuddled. I was a little miffed that I'd gone through the trouble of making them a nice roost (that they'd sit on through out the day) and there they slept, huddled up in the corner. A few started to roost and that went on for a number of weeks. I noticed about a month ago (16 weeks old) that they were all up on the roost.

Like you, I tried putting them up on it and they flew off again. It was in the 80-90s when mine were still doing it so I really don't think it has anything to do with the temperature. I just went out one night and there they were on the roost. The only thing that had happened was that the head roo had been removed. He had never roosted, while the non-dominant roo was one of the few that did. I guess they just followed his lead was he was in charge.

 

[teach1rusl]

I think it's just comfort at this point, snuggled in with a bunch of other warm bodies. They will start roosting at night soon enough...

 

[pat1297]

Mine did the same thing for about 2 weeks, than figured out the roost was a good thing after all. But I did lower it and now they go on it. I left their cardboard box in the coop for them to huddle in until they were ready. It is funny seeing them on the roost because each one is in a different direction instead of all the same and they seem to still huddle all in one area of the roost instead of spread out. They just love each other...............

 

[Swampwood]

LOL.. Mine did the same thing for the first 2weeks in the new coop.

 

[sheila3935]

I have 13 week old Barred rock 3 of them left one pullet 2 roos. They have been in there coop since they were 6 weeks. Still sleep on the totes of feed in there. They have roost that they may use once in a while but for sleeping its the totes. By the way I had a duck in there for awhile til I got her a mate and she would get up on the totes with them, way cute

 

[leahthor]

I have 3 girls that are 11 months old and 5 that are 4 1/2 months old and NONE roost. I go in, pick them up and put them on the roosts. They humor me for a minute then jump down and go back to the "chicken pile". I give up.

 

[Mak]

Mine did the "chicken pile" for a few weeks after I put them out in the coop at first. Eventually, they figured out that the roosts were better for sleeping on than the floor. All except the three that will insist on sleeping up on the roof rafters, that is!

They'll get up there when they are ready.