chickens not roosting anymore

[lv9777]

I have a flock of six, three hens age 2 and three young ones age 5 months. It has just turned cold and snowy in Michigan (within days from 70 to 50 to snow). My older birds are all sleeping in the wood shavings under the roosts. This is new behavior. The younger birds are all roosting up high. My top birds are on the floor and my low pecking order gals are up high. Now, my three older top ranking gals are a barred rock and two full size Cochins. I do not think my Cochins can fly up to high perches, but they usually perch on the low roosts about 6 inches off the floor.
My questions is why the change in behavior? Are they cold? Is there a draft I am unaware off? Should I just let it be or should I force roosting and move them nightly?
Included is a pic of the coop and one of the old gals just for fun.

 

[Missyschix13]

My lightly educated guess is one of two things. Either there was a shift in your pecking order, which can happen for what seems like no reason. This would explain the weird lack of roosting or change in roosting position.
Or there is a draft and they are avoiding it. Is that window by the upper roosting area open all the time? Or does it just look like it's open? I don't want to assume.

 

[lv9777]

My lightly educated guess is one of two things. Either there was a shift in your pecking order, which can happen for what seems like no reason. This would explain the weird lack of roosting or change in roosting position.
Or there is a draft and they are avoiding it. Is that window by the upper roosting area open all the time? Or does it just look like it's open? I don't want to assume.

Yes that window was open when the pic was taken, but not now. However, that is the perch the young ones are roosting on. The old girls are roosting under the window in pic two in front of the roosting bar. The older gals still appear in charge and get all the treats during the day.
Is it bad for them not to roost? It does make me have to clean some dirty rumps. Just trying to decide if I let them do what they want.
Thank you for your response.

 

[Missyschix13]

It's not harmful for them not to roost aside from the dirty tooshies. Are the ones not roosting showing any signs or symptoms they might be sick? Are they acting normal during the day? Sounds like they are but I just wanted to double check.

 

[lv9777]

Yes, everyone seems happy and healthy. I guess I will just let them be. I appreciate the reassurance.
I do expect a pecking order shift as the young girls start to lay. They are 24 weeks, but I imagine I will have to wait till spring now that our daylight hours are so short.
I currently have no aggression and everyone is happy, but one of my young gals is a RIR and she is getting a little feisty.

 

[Missyschix13]

Yes, everyone seems happy and healthy. I guess I will just let them be. I appreciate the reassurance.
I do expect a pecking order shift as the young girls start to lay. They are 24 weeks, but I imagine I will have to wait till spring now that our daylight hours are so short.
I currently have no aggression and everyone is happy, but one of my young gals is a RIR and she is getting a little feisty.

Glad to hear everyone seems fine. I wouldn't stress. They'll sort it out. Just keep on eye on their health just in case. You may not have to wait until spring. You never know. Those young ones can throw really weird curve balls. Lol

 

[Sussex19]

You could go out after dark and just check that there isn't any red roost mites, as they can cause that in my experience.

 

[theoldchick]

Check the feet and the roosts. Sometimes things develop physically in older birds and they need a good inspecting to make sure arthritis has not limited their ability to climb. My older birds enjoy a ramp with easy traction to get to the top roost-think wheelchair ramp. Next, check the roosts to make sure they are the proper size and are parasite free. A 2 x 4 board with flat side up seems to be preferred by my old gals. One of my old girls likes a rubber pan filled with hay to sleep in. I let her do so but make sure her bustle remains clean and the hay is clean. Remember, it never hurts to get your hands on your birds for a good check-up-though they may complain about it!

 

[lv9777]

You could go out after dark and just check that there isn't any red roost mites, as they can cause that in my experience.

I don't see anything that looks like bugs or mites tonight. I did clean the coop this fall which involved spraying all the wood with permethrin and dusting the edges with DE. I have not had a problem, but the idea of lice or mites makes me nervous.
My cats make sure that mice are not a problem.
Tonight my one Cochin is not only roosting on the floor, but she has moved all the plastic eggs from the nesting boxes (put there for my younger ones) and looks like she is thinking about being broody. Really? In November??