Chicken or dog?

[Erin277]

I am totally new to raising chickens so this may be a silly question, but are chickens extremely social animals? My chickens are 24 weeks and we have raised them since they were chicks. Here is why I ask my question:
1. My EE starts squawking at around 7am. Sounds like a car alarm, rhythmic and continuous until we go out and feed her.
2. Whenever we go outside all three 1 EE and 2 Red Sexlinks come to the run's door and wait. Nugget actually pecks at the wire until I open it.
3. I just went outside while they were running around the backyard and they came all the way across the yard, jumped/flew up to my deck and stopped next to me. They then waited for me to pet them. After I was done petting them, they kept coming after me as if I didn't pet them enough. It was crazy.

Other question:
1. Why do they sleep under their coop (it's lifted off the ground) instead of inside the coop??

Thanks in advance.

 

[boersmamrs]

My chickens start squawking as soon as I whistle for my dogs to come back in from their morning run around the yard. They WILL not shut up until I open the door and greet them with fresh water and food. I secretly suspect they like to watch me clean up all the creative ways they managed to poop during the night. My chickens come running anytime I am outside. I doubt this is out of love... the want treats. But they will also follow me around.. observe me. I think it just depends on the chicken, their personality and how they were raised, how comfortable they are with people on how social they are.
I don't know why the sleep on the ground. Is there enough room for each of them to roost? Have they ever slept on the roost?--if they have it could be mites. Have you tried putting them on the roosts?

 

[Erin277]

I think when they were really young and they first moved to the run I put them in their coop once. But they seem content sleeping on the ground so I didn't mess with them. However I may try putting them in the coop and closing the door for a few nights and see if that changes their mind. Here's a picture of my coop maybe it's something about the inside of my coupe that deters them.

 

[boersmamrs]

What are the dimensions? And how high is the roost
And how many chickens do you have?

 

[Erin277]

We have 3. The dimensions are 38" from door to door, 46" wide and 45" tall. That's a rough estimate. I just measured in the dark.
Here is how my girls sleep. You can see them stacked on top of each other. So obviously they don't need much room. Lol again sorry the pic was taken in the dark.

 

[boersmamrs]

Hmm.. seems big enough easily for just three. They are so adorable. I would just start putting them on the roost at night, once they're up there a few times they will get the idea. What a couple a cuties.

 

[boersmamrs]

Also, sorry.. how high is your roost? I cant tell from the picture, could be too high. Mine is about 18 inches from the floor and sometimes they still jump on top of the nesting boxes and then onto the roost so its not such a leap.

 

[Erin277]

I'll check the height of the roost tomorrow. I went out to measure how far the flat roost is from the wall and found Cashew sleeping in a nesting box. So at least she's figured it out. Lol

 

[Erin277]

So I think catching them and putting them in the coop will be a two person job. I just ran back-and-forth chasing my three chickens for 10 minutes with zero success. They are fast. Guess I'll wait until the husband's home to do it with him.

 

[boersmamrs]

I don't think anyone can catch a chicken by chasing them lol. Wait until its dark, they can't see, after that you can just pick them up.