Chickens not using coop to roost at night.

[Mrs. K]

Well I don't have windows in my coops, so unless you want a window in your coop no need to add one now. I don't turn on a light at dusk either, and my roosts are about 4 feet off the ground. I do not think there is anything wrong with adding those things if you want, but not sure about addressing the problem.

And what you feed them has nothing to do with them roosting. Also they will not be warmer roosting in the coop if they are in the coop they will be fine. Personally I give mine more grains, because I think the eggs taste better.

I think they have a notion, chickens are very notional. I have a BA that always creates her own nest on the floor, and nothing I do can break it. She always picks a clean spot, and I gave up worrying about it. For the last three weeks, I have had a pullet laying in the left hand box. But this week, a new bird came into lay, and they both laid 3 nests to the right. That will probably be the favorite for a while.

I think that if this bothers you, go down and put them up on the roosts by hand 2-3 nights, and I think they will get the right notion. Once they go to sleep they will be easy to handle. But I will admit, that little battery light might do the trick too - I have read it on here before. And you will only have to do it, until they find the roosts.

This is an elevated coop, correct. It might be they think they are roosting, silly birds.

But really I think that even if you do nothing... they will start to roost on their own in time.

Mrs K

 

[RojoMarz]

Wouldn't stop them from entering the cooop, but could they need/want a ramp to the lower roost? I have a poop board with roost on top. The poop board edge is 24" from the ground. My buff orp will not jump/hop that high. She uses the ramp to access the poop board. A ramp also allows for them to walk down in the am, which is appreciated by the big bodies girls...they don't like to "thunk" down and then slide (due to the wood chips slipping/sliding under their feet.)

 

[MMelton67]

Thing is it's not as nutritious and that's more important to overall health and being able to handle the cold. Any feed will create 'heat' and 'energy' as it digests, so better to just give them the good chicken ration.


Would be good to get tp hinge windows as they will also add ventilation in summer.

Ok. I understand. ty.

I got the quickest window available, an all aluminum storm window. It's double hung with a half screen.

 

[aart]

I got the quickest window available, an all aluminum storm window. It's double hung with a half screen.

Well, at least you'll have some natural light in there...can tackle the heat ventilation windows next spring.

 

[MMelton67]

@everyone thanks for all the tips and thoughts.

I cut a hole and installed a 14x21 inch aluminum storm type window high in the front wall on the south side of the coop. the roosts are running north south on the east wall. so, the light is falling on the roost bars most directly and otherwise completely filled the place with light. I'll probably add a second window on the other side of door that's on the same side later.

When I got back from the run to Lowes (which is an hour and a half round trip in including time in the store) all the birds were in the coop, some roosting, some laying (they dropped 6 eggs in the time I was gone, I expect at least 7 if not more by our usual gathering time of 4pm)

I thought the saw was going to freak them out but they didn't seem to care.

@RojoMarz
re: ramp. I'm not planning on a drop board. I laid vinyl sheet flooring over the entire floor and am just planning to shovel as needed. So far, these birds will jump/fly. Both the Orps and the Rocks were flying over the 48" net fencing I had them in till moving to this fully enclosed coop/run. When I got back today there was a mix of the two breeds on the upper bar which is only 36" off the floor. But, I hear you on the drop down. I'll keep an eye on them and can add a ramp.

 

[MMelton67]

sigh, so, just went down there about 9:45 to walk the dog and check on the birds: 12 out of 13 huddled up just outside the coop door...2 roosting on the threshhold and 2 roosting on the lifted door itself (hinged, swinging upward on a rope) and the others on the ground. 1 Rock inside the coop and on the upper roost bar. (Queen B intimidating the others?)

Opened the door and walked in with the flashlight and the other 5 rocks and 1 Orp immediately came in and started eating, drinking and otherwise milling around. Stood there for about 5 minutes and two more Orps came in. I turned the two mini flashlights on (they are both pretty dim at this point, will probably die out in the next couple of hours) and left them as they will. A low of 22 tonight with light to medium winds. It stopped raining and we are going to drop in temps severely for the next week or more.

Light definitely seems to be a factor, and maybe conditioning. I'm not sure why, after spending the day moving in and out and many if not all of them jumping up to the roost bars at one point or the other they are not staying in at nightfall. So, tomorrow afternoon, I will round them up at dusk and physically put them in the coop and shut the doors [food, water and dust bath inside as well as 4" or so of pine shavings all over the floor]...for the night that will be low teens.

fwiw, after collecting the 6 eggs at 4:30 or so, two more eggs were produced between then and 9:45'ish. They're moving in to the nesting box to lay.


Starting to think I should have gone rabbits, lol.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Light definitely seems to be a factor, and maybe conditioning.

Both, probably. They get into habits that can be hard to break unless they want to, hence why I'm a little more persistent about getting them to roost compared to some folks.

Having extra artificial light while they're still getting used to the idea of going in at dusk will likely help at this point, to give them an obvious beacon as to where to go.

 

[aart]

1 Rock inside the coop and on the upper roost bar. (Queen B intimidating the others?)

Could be.
If you can swing it, go down and observe(without interferring) near roosting time to see if that's the case.

 

[Predoggg]

Do you have an actual pictures of the inside of the coop? The lowest roost bar seems to be a bit high of the ground. Provide an opportunity for them to use to get to the lower roost bar like a ladder or an additional lower roost bar.
We have an outdoor light powered by solar cells and motion activated for our chickens. We set it that it turns on inside when they move and have light and can see.

 

[MMelton67]

Do you have an actual pictures of the inside of the coop? The lowest roost bar seems to be a bit high of the ground. Provide an opportunity for them to use to get to the lower roost bar like a ladder or an additional lower roost bar.
We have an outdoor light powered by solar cells and motion activated for our chickens. We set it that it turns on inside when they move and have light and can see.

the top of the nesting box is 18" off the floor, the lower bar @ 24" and the higher bar is at 36". Lowering the bars is not a problem to do. Isn't the rule to have the roosts higher than the nesting boxes? I can lower both easily. In the picture, the shallow box with sand and pure clay kitty litter is new since it's been so wet outside they've lost dust bathing outside.

I will add that during the day yesterday both breeds of birds were on both roosting bars at one point or the other. I'm not so sure it a height issue. But, I can simply add a lower roost bar and see what happens.