Chickens roosting on coop- my specifics included

[Jess718]

I’m in NJ. We have had some hot days and I have had to use some tricks to keep them cool- frozen treats included. I don’t know if that is what started this to begin with maybe? Could they then have a new habit?

Thanks for the shade cloth idea though! I will get a new thermometer in there and see if I will need it.

 

[springvalley123]

I’m in NJ. We have had some hot days and I have had to use some tricks to keep them cool- frozen treats included. I don’t know if that is what started this to begin with maybe? Could they then have a new habit?

Thanks for the shade cloth idea though! I will get a new thermometer in there and see if I will need it.

It's probably the ventilation they're seeking.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I frequently have chickens that choose to sleep outside. Right now 1 pullet sleeps on the roof of my main coop (it's winter here and she will not be dissuaded, so I've stapled a woolen blanket up there for her to sit on) and 3 of my juvenilles are in the trees.

I've had some of those prefab coops and still have some I use for broody coops or for the young birds before they're 'allowed' to join the adults in the big kid coop. What I can offer about the prefabs is that is does get very hot in them, and the roosting bars they come with are not suitable for standard size chickens and certainly not orpingtons. You can try changing the roosting bars for wider bars and making sure they are fixed securely. The prefab coops I've had have bars that can easily fall out.

Honestly I would focus on trying to predator proof your run area, once chickens make a decision about where they want to be it is a hard task to get them to change their minds.

 

[Jess718]

Thank you for the advice. I don’t see how I can really increase ventilation unless I cut small windows lower and add hardware cloth to them. Good or bad idea?

I will work on securing the run better and I will try and figure out how to add some larger bars. It’s not an easy task with the set up. I’d love to build them something larger but I don’t see that happening for awhile.

How wide should the bar be ideally if I can figure out how I can add something?

 

[springvalley123]

Thank you for the advice. I don’t see how I can really increase ventilation unless I cut small windows lower and add hardware cloth to them. Good or bad idea?

I will work on securing the run better and I will try and figure out how to add some larger bars. It’s not an easy task with the set up. I’d love to build them something larger but I don’t see that happening for awhile.

How wide should the bar be ideally if I can figure out how I can add something?

I'd get/find something--bricks, sawhorses, 2x4's... and build a roosting structure for the run. My roosts are 2x4 with the wide side up so their feet can sit flat on the roosts. I built a roost set up with 2, 2x4s to roost on, and used additional lumber to hold the roosts up. It's in the 10x13 enclosure. I put just corrugated plastic above it just in case the shade cloth (double layer) doesn't stop the rain. I think your run comes with a tarp? I'd put the roosts under that if you decide to use the run as a predator proof run/coop.

If you decide to use the prefab coop, you'll need to find a way to secure the bigger roosts, plus supply ventillation starting at least a foot above the birds' backs while they're roosting---I don't know if the prefab is tall enough to do that. And the 1 sq ft per bird, is a bare minimum, might not be enough. I'd make sure that the coop is not hotter inside, than it is outside, before trying to force the birds to sleep in it.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

My roosting bars are 4.5cm at the top (where the feet go) and 3cm thick. This seems to be what they prefer they have had a few options both larger and smaller.

Here is my main coop roost:

Here is a roosting bar floor I made for a prefab kennel coop, I find this works better in the prefabs it's a cross between roosting bars and a slatted floor and so far it is working great.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Roosts, I'd aim for something around 2" wide (if flat) or 2" in diameter (round) or more.

Ventilation, I assume the monitor portion is fully open to below? If so, I'd take out that little dinky slider up top and have both sides as wire mesh only, and maybe consider opening up the triangle under the roof as well. Since your run top isn't solid you may need to extend the roof lines here a bit, or use awnings, to ward off rain:

 

[Jess718]

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. After watching them today while in my garden I am now sold on the ventilations issue- with the roosting bar fix needing to be more permanent than what I came up with for last night.

I opened the back door (which I usually keep closed) in addition to the front door (auto door) and darned if they weren’t in and out all day today. I also put a piece of wood I had hanging around across the nesting boxes that was wider and again they were on it.

I’m going to think about doing those things to add the ventilation and fix the roosting bars and see if I can’t get them happier with it. Better predator proofing the run is on my list too but I can make these adjustments faster for them. Thank you all again so much!!! Oh and thank you for the pictures!