HELP my hens are roosting everywhere except the roost :)

[fullerfamfarm]

I dont even know if this is truly an issue. I feel like I am asking lots of dumb questions, so please forgive me. The ladies like to roost atop the nesting box, which looks harrowing. They also like the chest freezer and a shelf above it. we have a nice roost, at least I think its nice, but alas I am not a chicken so... WHAT GIVES???

 

[WayWay]

Just lock them up in the coop for a week or so and they'll get attached to the roost, and if you don't want to do that just look for them at night and put them in the roost.

 

[fullerfamfarm]

we do, we cant hardly get them to leave the coop.
they have a quarter acre yard all to themselves but would rather sit in the coop.
the objects they roost on are in the coop.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Are the chest freezer and shelf higher than the roosts?

 

[fullerfamfarm]

the shelf is much higher, the freezer is the same height as the middle rung of the roost, and the roof of the nesting box is about 12-18 in higher than the top rung. do you think its a height thing? i have been reading this evening and am wondering if its an issue with the branches vs. a flat space to roost. that also seems to be a commonality with all the preferred spaces, although the nesting box lid is at an angle.

i sat in the coop this evening after they all went to roost. 3 on the nest box roof, 2 on the freezer, and 1 on the high shelf. i sat and watched them for quite a while. the ladies on the freezer and shelf were asleep really quickly but the three on the next box seemed stressed bickering with each other and trying desperately not to slide off. I moved them all to the roost. an hour later well after dark i went out with a light to take a peek. they were all six asleep on the roost.

i think we have decided to disband the branches and make a roost with 2x4s

 

[CrazyTalk]

Any particular reason you can't have the roosts higher? These are birds whose ancestors roost in trees - the higher they can get the safer they'll feel.

 

[johnjenn2004]

My chickens love the to roost on a 2 X 4

 

[junebuggena]

Chickens want to roost as high as they can get. If you put your roosting structure flat and put some legs on it, making it about 4 or 5 feet tall, I bet they would love using it. At the angle that it's at, the bars are pretty close together, any bird on the lower rungs will get pooed on by the ones above. I suggest replacing those branches with 2x4s wide side up. The branches are a bit small in diameter for comfortable roosting.

 

[fullerfamfarm]

i really appreciate all your responses!
we have been so long in wanting to raise hens, so we are desperate to make sure we have super happy ladies!!!

no, we can go double the height.
would you do a little ramp to allow them to get up there?
their wings are clipped. they use different things around the coop to get to their odd perches.

 

[aart]

Yep, wider roosts, up higher, ramps can help.
Also putting them on the roosts at dusk or after dark can help too.
The first year is lots of observation, asking questions and making changes.

ETA...oh and, putting sharply angled board on top of anywhere you don't want them to roost...kind of like the top of the nests which isn't quite sharply angled enough I guess.