maybe the roosting bar isn't sized to their liking

CI

I am especially interested in this because I am upset that my husband hasn't built roosts for my 38 New Hampshire Reds yet. They are 6 weeks old now and are completely free ranging. I did everything I could to try to keep them in fencing and their little chicken brains outsmarted me!!

The good thing is that they go back into their hoophouse at sunset every night so we can close them in, but we have lost a few to feral cats, I think. They are flying up on the picnic table and on low bush branches and I think they really need roosts!

Mine too are sleeping on the ground for now.

At 5 weeks they are still babies enough to still want to naturally huddle together for warmth. If they are huddling TOO much, they are too cold and need supplemental heat. Chilling can be fatal. When the time comes (around 2 months of age) they will instinctively want to 'go up' to roost and should roost like any other self-respecting chicken. :) Make sure your roosts are big enough for their feet (we use 2x2's that have been sanded lightly to prevent splinters and to round the sharp edges off, perfect for standard birds and banties). Roosts that are too small around can damage your chickens' feet and hurt. The right size roost is one where the birds' foot goes about 3/4 of the way around when it grasps it.

Velvet ~:>

I am hoping, as Velvet mentioned, for them to outgrow this in few weeks. The roosts are 2x2's set at a 45 degree angle such that an edge or corner is facing up. The corners are rounded slightly; the birds don't seem to mind hanging out on them during the daytime. We'll see.

It seems to be an evening ritual for them to see who can get on top of the heap in a corner on the floor. If the weather was cool or if they didn't have feathers I'd certainly give them some extra heat. They seem perfectly content roaming around outside in their yard just moments before dusk then when I put them in the house the ritual begins (if I didn't PUT them in they would just huddle up and sleep on the ground outside.)

Thanks for your responses.

I may be hooked on this chicken thing. I get a kick out of watching them.