1 chicken refuses to roost at night

[SuperC]

I have 1 chicken that refuses to use the roost bar at night. I only have 4 ladies, (all of them will be 8 months next week) and they have a 4 foot long, 2x4 (on its wide side) roost bar and the 3 other girls hop up every night and they end up using only half the bar because they cuddle up, so there is PLENTY of space. But my Miss Stacey refuses to sleep up there and spends every night on the floor under them. Here’s the funny thing, she is HEAD HEN! She’s been the top of the pecking order since day one, (& I honestly believe the other girls started sleeping on the roost because they all used to pile on the floor and miss Stacey has always liked the corner on the floor spot best & they gave up and decided to roost). She is also the first one to “settle in” for the night- the others will be preening or having a last minute snack after I close them up, and she settles down into “her spot” and goes to bed.

I’m trying to change this sleeping arrangement for a few reasons; she gets poo’d on most nights and I have to clean out her back/tail feathers each morning from half dry poos. I want her to stay warm this winter by cuddling up with her sisters, but she’s all alone down there.

She wakes up in the morning and is happy to hop up there to preen and nap, and sits up there during the day when they go play in the coop, but she refuses to sleep at night on it. I’ve tried putting her up there after dark, but she hops down again and goes back to her usual floor spot. I’ve even waited until DARK/late and she still hops down.

Any tips or tricks to change this? Can there be a reason why she shuns the roost and her sisters at night?

Plenty of space to fit- 2 feet of roost bar if she wants it.

Sometimes she’s not booty to the corner, but always sleeps right about there in the floor.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Off with her head! No, no, just kidding. Sounds like this is her spot and you're not going to change her mind. How about you build a little box open to the front for her to sleep in and keep the poop off her? Even the top half of a cat crate might work. If she doesn't like it, she'll either roost up above or find a different corner.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh. And if she sleeps ON TOP of the box, get an orange traffic cone from Home Depot and put it on top of the crate.

 

[SuperC]

She’s still a pullet (yeah- 3 of them at 8 months, but that’s a different woe!) and she refuses to enter a box of any kind. I had thought about a shelf or something to catch poo, but They also like to play in the coop on and off all day so I don’t want to “take up” extra coop space. I also don’t want to teach sleeping in a box so she won’t start doing that when she finally starts giving up the eggs! lol!.

 

[triciayoung]

I agree that this is where she wants to sleep. Of my 22, I have one hen and one rooster that prefer to sleep on the floor. I also have a few disabled hens that have to sleep on the floor of a crate. You could also change the direction and placement of the roosting bar so that she does not get pooped on. If you checked her feet and she doesn't have bumblefoot and her abdomen to make sure she is not swollen, then sleeping on the floor is just her thing.

 

[SuperC]

I agree that this is where she wants to sleep. Of my 22, I have one hen and one rooster that prefer to sleep on the floor. I also have a few disabled hens that have to sleep on the floor of a crate. You could also change the direction and placement of the roosting bar so that she does not get pooped on. If you checked her feet and she doesn't have bumblefoot and her abdomen to make sure she is not swollen, then sleeping on the floor is just her thing.

My ladies are… sensitive. I can’t move anything around in there or coop boycotting and panic ensue (they have me trained well). No bumblefoot and her tummy is fine (plus she LIKES to play up there in daylight hours). She is also the most enthusiastic “ledge sitter” outside in the run and loves to sit on any perch or ledge she can find.

Maybe she just likes to sleep alone? (Can’t blame the girl! I love my husband but I sleep like a baby when he has to be away at night! lol!). Guess I should just not force her to roost up?

 

[triciayoung]

My ladies are… sensitive. I can’t move anything around in there or coop boycotting and panic ensue (they have me trained well). No bumblefoot and her tummy is fine (plus she LIKES to play up there in daylight hours). She is also the most enthusiastic “ledge sitter” outside in the run and loves to sit on any perch or ledge she can find.

Maybe she just likes to sleep alone? (Can’t blame the girl! I love my husband but I sleep like a baby when he has to be away at night! lol!). Guess I should just not force her to roost up?

Is there anyway to enlarge the coop safely? I do think she needs to stay clean and dry.

 

[bill3607]

You probably won't like my thoughts, but I wouldn't worry about it. If she wants to get pooped on, then, I would let her until she decided she has had enough. I wouldn't clean it off of her either. She will probably change where she sleeps eventually.

 

[SuperC]

Is there anyway to enlarge the coop safely? I do think she needs to stay clean and dry.

No, it’s a solid 4x4 coop. 2 sides are large doors, one side is solid with windows at the top and the front is open to the run with the pop door. I’ve toyed with the idea of putting nesting boxes on the outsode wall of the coop for extra space, but I just finished building it a few months ago and don’t want to start cutting holes/building on to it just yet. It’s Fort Knox and I’m afraid of weakening it by extending boxes off of it just yet.

She gets like 1-3 small clumped poos max on her tail/floof area but some days she doesn’t get any- they are pea-grape sized so not too big (and she happily sits on my lap for hugs while I dig thru the feathers each morning looking for anything.) thankfully never a seccal poo or anything really wet/wet on her. Hopefully she roosts up come winter!

 

[bill3607]

No, it’s a solid 4x4 coop. 2 sides are large doors, one side is solid with windows at the top and the front is open to the run with the pop door. I’ve toyed with the idea of putting nesting boxes on the outsode wall of the coop for extra space, but I just finished building it a few months ago and don’t want to start cutting holes/building on to it just yet. It’s Fort Knox and I’m afraid of weakening it by extending boxes off of it just yet.

She gets like 1-3 small clumped poos max on her tail/floof area but some days she doesn’t get any- they are pea-grape sized so not too big (and she happily sits on my lap for hugs while I dig thru the feathers each morning looking for anything.) thankfully never a seccal poo or anything really wet/wet on her. Hopefully she roosts up come winter!

I am curious as to what type of ventilation up top that you have for the coop, and your location. I am not saying that is why she doesn't use the roost since the other 3 do. It is tight space, though. What is the height as well?