Chickens roosting outside henhouse at night

[Lskaer]

We built a new coop for our three year old chickens. This one has roosting poles in the enclosed coop area as well as the henhouse. Every night they fall asleep on the outside poles. I've tried shutting them in the henhouse for a few days (with food and water) but they still want to roost outside.
I have 2 mo old chicks in their new coop and same situation. I kept them in the henhouse for three nights but now that they are out, they roost on the outside poles.
Any suggestions?

 

[Lskaer]

Coop design

 

[jthornton]

Add your location to your profile.

Lower or remove the outside roosts.

Read about stack up here.

JT

 

[elizabethu42]

We built a new coop for our three year old chickens. This one has roosting poles in the enclosed coop area as well as the henhouse. Every night they fall asleep on the outside poles. I've tried shutting them in the henhouse for a few days (with food and water) but they still want to roost outside.
I have 2 mo old chicks in their new coop and same situation. I kept them in the henhouse for three nights but now that they are out, they roost on the outside poles.
Any suggestions?

I had the same problem as you with my hens. I had to remove the outside roost and they eventually got the idea that they are supposed to sleep on the roost in the henhouse.

 

[Lskaer]

Thank you. Sounds like removing the outside roosts is the general consensus. I hate that though. I really like them. Lol.

 

[jthornton]

Thank you. Sounds like removing the outside roosts is the general consensus. I hate that though. I really like them. Lol.

Or just make them much lower than the ones in the coop. Chickens want to roost in the highest place they can get to at night.

JT

 

[ClockRoach]

Removing the other option (for at least a few days or weeks) is the only guaranteed way to force them inside, but you could also just leave them be. Both of those coops look very secure, assuming you've got a skirt or other underground protection, so you don't need to worry about predators.

If the chickens were choosing to stay outside in very cold or windy conditions, it might worry me some. If some of them were staying inside and bullying others into sleeping on the outside roosts, I'd definitely worry. But if all of them are simply choosing to sleep outside and the weather is reasonable, it shouldn't hurt them.

 

[MigraineMan]

Some of our birds preferred to sleep on the roosts in the run last fall. I'm pretty sure the larger Black Australorps were bullying the smalller Red Sex Links for the "premium" roost space. As temperatures got into the low-20s, we stuffed all of them into the coop and closed the door. Took about three nights of this to convince them that they needed to sort-out their differences to stay warm (and alive.)

As springtime temps start to rise, I'm expecting to see a few of them overnighting on the run roosts.

 

[Howard E]

It is entirely possible the outside part is more to their liking than the inside is. Voting with their feet so to speak. Don't know what the inside look like, but if the inside roost area is dark, stuffy and not well ventilated, it is understandable.

BTW, kudos to whoever built that coop setup. Very nice!!!

 

[JDN]

It seems sheltered and secure enough that I have to ask why you insist on them going into the coop?