Chickens Sleeping Outside at Night

[Lori S]

I agree that your roosts look too low. Chickens naturally go for the highest place in the coop to roost. I occasionally have hens go to the fir trees if the coop door is closed for so random reason. You could try a light bulb on a timer (LED so not to add any heat), and time it to be on during dusk and then turn off after you close the coop door. This could attract them to the light and then they would settle down in the coop, on the roosts, and then close the door. When the chickens go to the trees I say they are going back to the wild...but the wild will get them in the end. A sleeping chicken is a sitting duck. lol

My roosts are as high as they can be with a standing rooster not hitting his comb.

The light on a timer is an interesting idea. Earlier I l posted my girls had started roosting outside. Now three are still outside and two have moved in. I do have an LED on for 15 minutes just before dusk. But I confused the whole issue by building a new "Taj Mahen" coop. It has a higher roost (3 1/2'). Small chicken door left open 24-hrs, gable vents and roofline ventilation. No change in bedding nor feed. Moved them less than 10 feet from the old spot. No eggs for over 5 weeks. An earlier poster mentioned chickens don't like change, and BOY, is that true! Here's a pic of my coop interior.

 

[rosemarythyme]

But it is weird they are choosing to sleep in their run perches rather than their dark coup perches. I dont think it's too hot in their inside coup.

If it's too stuffy, too dark, too hot, they will not want to use the coop.

Have you taken an actual temperature measurement inside the coop vs outside?

Can they clearly see inside the coop at dusk when light is low?

 

[Borders3]

Get the omlet light that attaches to your coop door it will come on at dusk and go off whatever you set the timer for or about 10 mins after the door shuts. I have solar fairy lights strung in the coop seems to do the trick.