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Chickens sleeping on the roof of their henhouse...HELP

post #1 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:19pm
Thread Starter 

Since my 4 hens are totally enclosed, I began leaving the door open to their coop so they would not get too hot. Now about 2 weeks later, I realize they are no longer sleeping in their house! They should be about 3 weeks from first egg production and I don't want any eggs on their slanted roof. Any ideas?

Rhode Island Reds, about 15-16 wks old.

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post #2 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:22pm

They normally don't lay eggs while they are roosting so I wouldn't worry about it.  Do they have access to nesting boxes?
 

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post #3 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:23pm

Increase ventilation and make so a little more light comes in from outside as sun goes down or provide the silliest of silly (a night light).  Get them back in.  They may have moved out because of being disturbed by a predator while on roost.

Make every effort to understand your chicken's biology and the environment that supports it.
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Make every effort to understand your chicken's biology and the environment that supports it.
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post #4 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:25pm
Thread Starter 

Yes, inside their house and they were sleeping in them until the switched to the roof! I noticed very little poop inside the house lately, so I used my hubby's night vision lens and there they are all snuggled together sleeping on the roof way after dark!

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post #5 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:30pm

Do they have a roost in their house or only nesting boxes?  Chickens much prefer to roost and that may be why they are outside so I would advise installing a roost inside if you don't have one and that may solve your problem.
 

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post #6 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:33pm

Long-term roosting on roof will put them at risk of predation by great-horned owls.

Make every effort to understand your chicken's biology and the environment that supports it.
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Make every effort to understand your chicken's biology and the environment that supports it.
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post #7 of 7
6/19/12 at 7:42pm
Thread Starter 

Ah, the roost inside their house is probably the culprit. They have one but now that they have doubled in size, it may not be big enough to hold all 4 at once. I will change that tomorrow. I assume it will take them a few days to notice the change.

I will also try to increase the ventilation. 

 

Their run is totally enclosed including the top so I should not have to worry about owls. There were a few we heard about 2 wks after getting the hens but they can't get in.  I tried to make it very predator proof as we have very strict ordinances here regarding the run and coop!

 

Thanks for any and all suggestions as I am very new at this and willing to do anything so my girls are happy!

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying › Chickens sleeping on the roof of their henhouse...HELP