Chicken sleeping on the coop floor?

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

I have a quick question for y’all. The hen on the floor is Lola she for some reason likes to sleep under the light or near it on the ground. There is enough space on the roosts. I have 5 that are a couple feet in length. She just chooses to sleep on the floor. Does anyone know why? It is cold here highs of -2 and low of -17 tomorrow night. It’s about 30 in there. They are almost a year old too.

 

[aart]

likes to sleep under the light or near it on the ground

A heat light?

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

A heat light?

Yes

 

[MissE]

Yes

If you remove the light she may go up on the roost.

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

If you remove the light she may go up on the roost.

I can’t it gets too cold here tomorrow morning is -17 and I saw her this morning up there she just doesn’t sleep on a roost or she’ll sleep on a low one a couple inches above the ground

 

[MissE]

I can’t it gets too cold here tomorrow morning is -17 and I saw her this morning up there she just doesn’t sleep on a roost or she’ll sleep on a low one a couple inches above the ground

I'm on the third morning in a row of -40 F or colder. No heat. If you want to leave the light, you may just have to accept her sleeping on the floor. She isn't being bullied off the roost by the others is she?

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

I'm on the third morning in a row of -40 F or colder. No heat. If you want to leave the light, you may just have to accept her sleeping on the floor. She isn't being bullied off the roost by the others is she?

No they get along very well when it comes to colder night sleeping. There’s always a few running around at a times so they switch out frequently. I just wanted to know if something was wrong that I was doing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I just wanted to know if something was wrong that I was doing.

Not as far as I'm concerned. I don't care where mine sleep as long as it is not in a nest and is somewhere predator safe.

Sort of a different topic, but I still think relevant. A poultry science professor once said that in a room full of people some people will be cold, some will be hot, and some will be comfortable. Chickens are the same way. They each have their own preferences. So there is no one temperature that covers every chicken in the world.

I figure they know more about being chickens and what makes them comfortable than I ever will. The only thing I'd be concerned about is if she can physically get on the roosts, is she injured or deformed in some way she cannot fly. That would be more than a roosting problem. But as long as she is moving OK I would not worry about it. She is doing what she wants to do.

 

[Sweet Road Island Reds]

Not as far as I'm concerned. I don't care where mine sleep as long as it is not in a nest and is somewhere predator safe.

Sort of a different topic, but I still think relevant. A poultry science professor once said that in a room full of people some people will be cold, some will be hot, and some will be comfortable. Chickens are the same way. They each have their own preferences. So there is no one temperature that covers every chicken in the world.

I figure they know more about being chickens and what makes them comfortable than I ever will. The only thing I'd be concerned about is if she can physically get on the roosts, is she injured or deformed in some way she cannot fly. That would be more than a roosting problem. But as long as she is moving OK I would not worry about it. She is doing what she wants to do.

She can I saw her this morning on one of the higher roosts I have on there I kind of think she likes to be somewhat next to everyone but at a distance she always eat drinks and moves around she’s different she usually picks the roost where there is only enough room for one