[Stablechooks]

Hi all, our recent additions to the coop all pile on top of eachother at night and do not use the perches. 1 cock and two hens. Should I put them on the perches?  I have dropped one of the perching bars to half the height of the other for the millefleur - but no luck so far.
Advice welcome.
Thanks

[OpiumEater]

Mine all squeeze into a tiny corner at night!

[bantam novice]

I have read in another thread that you could try putting your hens up on the perches at night and blocking off the nest boxes. 

[outercircle]

Just had a look at mine - four chickens all squashed up on on perch, another in the nest box and a whole empty perch just behind them. I regularly see two birds in one nest box laying together. They all seem happy enough so I'm leaving them to it.

[asd1]

I lift one of my hens onto the bars every night and after a year she still wants to sleep on the floor sometimes she even lays her eggs there not sure why ? I still move her coz if not she just sits in her own poop and that's icky !

[OpiumEater]

Scared of hights? 

[Stablechooks]

Thanks All, will leave them to it. Cannot put them on perches every night as I would have to take the roof off - a 2 person job. Will be getting a couple more and see how they behave!
Thanks

[featherhead]

Is it important that they sleep on a perch? :/

[Lindeggs]

Sleeping on the perch has advantages.  The main one is that it keeps their feathers clean, and clean feathers are healthy feathers!  A build-up of manure on their feathers can cause skin problems, and also means the feathers can't do their job of water-proofing and insulating the bird, especially in winter.