Anyone have an ideas about this?

[notsoangrybirds]

Hi. I have six chickens all just about seven months old and doing very well. Getting a steady stream of 5-6 eggs a day. It's starting to get cold here in the Chicago area- dropping below freezing at night. Well past dark when I lock things up- I've just started finding one of the chickens (an Austra White), sitting on TOP of the coop- rather than inside with the rest. I pick her up. Put her at the entrance of the coop, shine a light inside and she jumps up to a roost with her friends. What's up with her staying outside? Think she could take being outside unprotected (weather wise) all night if for some reason I'm not around to put her to bed! FYI: all the girls seem to get along well too. No bullying go on. If anything, the one staying out I always considered the Alpha. Thanks

 

[ellie32526]

Hi, That is a little strange. I'm not sure she would be okay if it got really cold. I know it gets pretty cold where you are. I'm in North Texas but it still gets cold at night here. I was told that when you introduce the hens to their new home, you should lock them in for four days so that they acclimate to their new home. Perhaps she has not attached herself to this coop. Did you just get them? Is she a new addition? Has she been going intot he coop at night and only just recently staying on top?.

 

[BeulahBreezes]

I have one chicken who has done the exact same thing since she's been able to fly up to the top of the cop. Every night I have had to go out, take her down and lock her in the pen. She would eventually go into the henhouse and roost. This has gone on for months! Now, for the past 3 nights she has gone directly into the henhouse...not roof top sitting! I have no idea why she is finally going inside, but I am glad I don't have to remove her ever night! ~Beulah
ps..... She is 3rd in the pecking order of 4 gals.......

 

[Chambertin]

My rooster has decided to scale the walls of our apartment building.
He litterally got up into the elevator roof area and I had to get him down. Not just once mind you.
My only guess is that chickens feel some kind of innate safety at height, because even the girls climb to some pretty dumb and dangerous places repeatedly.

Pictures of the rooster.

He's just on the railing here, next step our shade roof.

The only way up there is a good 4 foot jump from a 6 inch wide ledge 20 stories up.

You can see in the photo he nearly scaled the building. LIttle jerk likes to play around, it doesnt look like much but that ledge is 23 stories tall...

Yeah chickens like high places even if its crazy.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Hi. I have six chickens all just about seven months old and doing very well. Getting a steady stream of 5-6 eggs a day. It's starting to get cold here in the Chicago area- dropping below freezing at night. Well past dark when I lock things up- I've just started finding one of the chickens (an Austra White), sitting on TOP of the coop- rather than inside with the rest. I pick her up. Put her at the entrance of the coop, shine a light inside and she jumps up to a roost with her friends. What's up with her staying outside? Think she could take being outside unprotected (weather wise) all night if for some reason I'm not around to put her to bed! FYI: all the girls seem to get along well too. No bullying go on. If anything, the one staying out I always considered the Alpha. Thanks

Is she flying to the top of the coop? You could clip her wings and that might stop her. If it gets cold and wet she could freeze to death, and I'd worry about predation.

I had a similar problem with a cohort of birds that wanted to sleep UNDER my hen house. And it wasn't always possible to get them out, since my hen house is big and too low to the ground for a human to get under, and they wanted to roost up under the floor joists. I had one freeze to death, but there was freezing rain that night. We had to completely block in the bottom of the hen house to get them to stop.

 

[notsoangrybirds]

thanks to all for your comments. This is a new thing, that's just started within the last couple weeks- since the weather got cold. All the chickens (including her) seem very comfortable in their coop. They've all gone inside everynight on their own at dusk from the start (early summer). Sounds like the bottom line is that they're loveable and quirky, but not very bright! Speaking of quirks- found six eggs yesterday in ONE (of three) nesting boxes- layed within a three hour time frame.