chickens sleeping outside in the run

[Rachelsmile79]

Mine have started doing this too. I just don t get it.

 

[Mel281]

Ok, I'm going to try posting pictures from the iPad. My success earlier using my phone was short lived I guess. That earlier pic was actually the run.

The first of the pics below is the interior of the henhouse. The second is the pop door leading into the run.

 

[Mel281]

Here is an older interior picture in daylight. The higher roost is gone now. No one used it.

So I couldn't find any ticks, but I added wood ash to the house, nest boxes and run, then we manually put the chickens in one night. They since seen to be going in now eventually. I don't know what their deal was. But I'm still open to suggestions on the coop if need be.

 

[sunflour]

Ok, I'm going to try posting pictures from the iPad. My success earlier using my phone was short lived I guess. That earlier pic was actually the run.

The first of the pics below is the interior of the henhouse. The second is the pop door leading into the run.

Coop looks a little tight on space. Looks like they have to walk the roosts to get on them. That would leave the last to enter no way to get adequate roost position.

Roosts need to be 18 inches off wall and a minimum of 18 inches apart and about 2 feet off coop floor. Those look like big girls and more space between the roost would be better.

I am counting 5 girls, or are there 6 ? What is the inside floor dimensions and height of the coop?

I think those sleeping out just cannot fit in?

 

[aart]

Agrees space is tight and not very accessible.
High roost wasn't used because they can't get down without crashing into something.

They may have fit before but now that they are bigger they need way more room.....especially in Minnesota where the weather may keep them cooped up for days.

 

[sunflour]

Your run looks pretty secure, do you think you could add some plywood siding to enclose some of that into da coop?

 

[Mel281]

Thank you for these tips, I will re-work the inside today. The coop interior is 40"x40". It started out as 48x48, but insulation took up some space. We are only supposed to have 4 chickens, but we have 5. The extra one I ordered survived as was not expected. The roosts measure 12" from center to center and about 12" off the floor.

When you say "they have to walk the roosts to get on them, what is the alternative? Make them run perpendicular to their current direction? There is a big opening door that gets in the way of that, unless I build something else for them to anchor to other than the wall of the coop.

I took some actual camera photos this morning for more clarity.
Thanks again!

 

[sunflour]

Thank you for these tips, I will re-work the inside today. The coop interior is 40"x40". It started out as 48x48, but insulation took up some space. We are only supposed to have 4 chickens, but we have 5. The extra one I ordered survived as was not expected. The roosts measure 12" from center to center and about 12" off the floor.

When you say "they have to walk the roosts to get on them, what is the alternative? Make them run perpendicular to their current direction? There is a big opening door that gets in the way of that, unless I build something else for them to anchor to other than the wall of the coop.

I took some actual camera photos this morning for more clarity.
Thanks again!

IMO you do need to redo the roosts. When the first come in, they block others from getting to a roost position, so no choice but to sleep outside. And bet the odd one(s) out would rather be inside with the gang. They need minimum of 10" on roost and 12 " for big gals is better, and I don't think they want to be crowded on the back wall.

Have a couple of ideas, but want to try to draw it to see if feasible.

 

[sunflour]

My ideas:

You really do need 2 roosts for 5 chickens to allow 10" space for each. Some folks do 8" but I think a little tight for big gals.

There's not enough room to place them in parallel either direction if roosts are at the same vertical height. You might be able to raise the one in front of the coop door to the top of the chicken door opening. If that will place it about 2 feet off coop floor and at least 12 " off the back wall. Leave the other one alone as long as it is at least 12 " from the human clean out door wall and from the other roost and looks like it is.

You could change to 2 roosts perpendicular from corners and crossing at the center - but I would be concerned too crowded with the cross area and the corner positions would be too confining, so it likely won't help anything and may cause roost fights?

I know your weather is already getting pretty bad, and you don't have time for a major redo. If you don't think my suggestion would work, then post the dilemma under the coop section and you may get some more input.

But if only one roost move can help, then you can plan over the winter on revising the coop --- like maybe stealing area from the run, lowering your chicken pop door?

Good luck, I hope this helps.

You have a beautiful coop and am sure it's disappointing to need a change already.