If the chickens are hanging with each other, they are behaving appropriately. It took my batch about four months to decide to use the roosts, and then others learned faster by watching. If there is a larger and dominant group of chickens, they may be intimidating the younger chickens, and my observation is that the more dominant chickens tend to get their choice of roosts and will kick out anyone who is in "their" spot. I would suggest adding a few more roosting sticks lower to the ground and see if this helps.

Also, I have noticed that when it is cold my chickens will cuddle together in a nesting box rather than sit isolated on a perch. As long as they are together in a bunch, they are "with their peeps" and I would not worry too much about them yet. Just make sure they have other options.

Mine won't roost a majority of the time and if they do it is a fluke. One thing I was told to do so that they will go in their coop is to keep them in there for about two weeks so that they get used to it so that is what I did. It worked well and they go in on their own each night now. They know where they live...:) I just kept up on the food and water since it was in there with them and put the food up so they couldn't kick it everywhere and put the water up on blocks so that it wouldn't get pine shavings in it.

thanks everybody -- it put my mind at ease. i'll let them sit on the hay until they're ready to jump up to the roost pole.

well, its been a month, to the day, and the three younger chicklets found their way to the coop. (rounding up the chickens and putting them in the roost at night was getting tiresome.) they had recently switched to roosting on my bike handlebars.

now if they go in a few minutes earlier, they'll be able to hop onto the roost pole, just like their big sisters. (for now, we hold a flashlight in the coop so they have enough light to see the pole.)

Whenever I move new chicks from the crate with the heating lamp into their new chicken coup I always keep them inside with food/water for about a week. Then they identify it as their home and when I let them outside they always go in at night and use the perches.

It is the same whenever I have to move adult chickens into a new coup. To begin with they have no idea that they are supposed to go inside the coup to roost (eventhough they have come from a similar coup). Thats small brains for you! But they do get the hand of it quickly. I suppose its all territorial instincts with them.