changing where the roost is in the new coop-will they adapt?

[gale65]

In our current coop the roost runs north-south and is on the west side of the coop. In the new one we're going to build I plan to put the roost running north-south again but on the east side of the coop. I'll also be using two roosts since the coop will be 10' long and we have 12 chickens (unless someone can tell me that 10' for 12 chickens is long enough). Will they figure it out? I want to put the nest boxes (on the floor and with a steeply sloped board on top) on the west side because it'll be more easily accessible for getting the eggs out from outside the coop.

 

[Kaitie09]

I moved mine too, and it took a while but they finally got used to it.

The first couple of nights they kept flying at the wall where the old roosts used to be. Then they all started sleeping in the nesting boxes. Finally after about a week of moving them every night, they seem to have gotten the hang of it. They're still crowding into the corner where the old roosts used to be, and some sleep on the edge of the poop board, and the rooster still sleeps in the nesting box, but I'm not complaining. At least they are not trying to kill themselves anymore.

 

[Pharm Girl]

As long as they are not babies, they should figure it out quickly. Mine did. You might have to put the slow ones on it the first couple of nights.

 

[wava1vaughn]

They will adapt without problem.