Chickens not sleeping in coop?

[rt0026]

I have 7 buff orpington chickens that are a year old. I raised them inside my house when they were little and moved them outside in March. They intitially slept in the coop. Then it got hot and they started sleeping on the cage that is in their run. Imagine a 4 foot by 4 foot cage that is wood structure and mesh on the sides and top. It was the run of their baby chick coop.

They slept on that all summer and fall. They DO lay eggs in the coop. They also stay in the coop in their egg box when they go broody.

I didn't find that strange at all since it was 100 degrees in Texas for many days.

Now that it is winter should I be worried? It's 40 degrees and they just stay on top of the cage in their run. The run is fully roofed in by the way.

I don't know if they are smart enough to know it's warm in the coop? Or maybe they just dont mind 40 degree weather because of their breed.

The coop has a front door that I can close and also has a back door. It's injection molded insulated plastic coop 4 foot by 8 foot.

I'm thinking about forcing them in the coop and shutting the doors if it gets colder this winter and letting them out in the morning, but this will not be easy. It is texas so it wont get very very cold.

Opinions?

 

[Sassysouth]

I would put mine in the coop, because I am controlling like that.

 

[Folly's place]

As long as you have a predator proof area for them, let it be. You need to modify your coop so it's no longer a 'hot box'! Mary

 

[chickens really]

Isn't 40F +5C....I'm in Canada...
Mine slept outside till first frost on their Roost...As long as it's safe...They will be fine...I have Orpington and Brahma

 

[21hens-incharge]

Mine would like some 40f nights. Heck so would I.

I wouldn't worry as long as the run is predator proof.

I would not want them sleeping near any wire as raccoons can and will reach in and pull them apart. Plywood can be attached to the wire where the roosts ends are.
I would put pieces at least 3x3' there.

 

[JurassicBawk]

My coop is 10x10 under my deck, so it's about 10 foot tall and as "proofed" as I can get it. Inside the coop is their house, which is 4x4, 3 foot tall, on a 3 foot tall stand. They use the nest box just fine, but sleep on top of the house instead of inside it, since the 6' tall roofline is higher than the roost inside the house. Generally chickens will go to the highest point available. I don't know where your cage falls in height, but this may be what they are doing.

If the forecast calls for rain or extreme cold, I will go pluck them off the roof after dark and put them inside the house. Right now all 4 are molting and look like balding porcupines, so I don't want to pick them up and I've put a tarp on my desk to keep the rain from getting straight on them. Otherwise, if the weather is mostly nice, I let them sleep on the roof. I've got chain-link/hardwire mesh/barriers/netting on the coop plus my dogs running loose in the yard around the coop, so I'm not worried about predators. If yours are more susceptible to predators because they're on the cage, I might worry. Otherwise, I think they'll be fine.