Chickens won’t roost... again

[LalaP]

I’m out of ideas on how to get my 21 week old pullets to roost. I posted here weeks ago and received helpful advice and I remodeled my whole coop and it worked... they were roosting but now they aren’t roosting again. Now they’re evening behavior is really unacceptable. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

The roof of my coop is propped up during the day to air it out. Before the remodel of the coop they would fly/hop directly into the open roof at dusk and sleep on the floor of the second story. Now if I leave the roof open they perch on the edge of the outer wall of the coop and I have to pick them up and move them inside to shut the roof hatch.

Here you can see one of them on the ledge I’m talking about.

So there is a door on the other side of the coop to the bottom floor. I tried closing the roof door before they go in for the night and they go in the coop and settle in on a tiny narrow shelf that is just outside the nest boxes. I’ve been closing off the nest boxes so they don’t try to sleep in there but this little shelf is the entryway and also the step up to get to the second floor. This shelf is lower than the second floor and much lower than the roost. They also don’t all fit so one sad, lowly girl is standing downstairs looking up at them when I go to check on them. And then I pick them up and put them on the roost.

There is 4.5 feet of roost space for 4 birds and plenty of overhead space above the roost for hopping up.

Is it possible that they can’t see well enough to navigate up to the roost when the roof hatch is closed? Would it help to put a light outside the coop but shining in the window that is near the roost opposite the nest box end of the coop? If possible I’d love to leave the roof hatch open and trick or train them into roosting in the right spot.

I’m out of ideas. I’m going out of town in mid-October and the neighbor boy who cares for my animals when I’m away won’t be able to pick the chickens up to move them onto the roost like I have been doing so I’d really like to get them into a good habit before then. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's a small narrow area. They probably don't feel comfortable in it. That would be my guess. A bigger more open coop would be better. As they mature their roosting habits and where to roost can change.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Yes it is possible they can't see the roosting bar to roost. Can you see in there or is it really dark in the evening when they should be going to bed. They do have very poor eyesight in the evening.

 

[LalaP]

Ok I’m gonna try a light and hope that work. I have so many house and yard projects started right now I really am hoping to put off building a new coop. Thank you

... and any more ideas are welcome in case the light doesn’t work.

 

[Mrs. K]

The reason they are roosting on the edge when you lift the roof, is that is higher than the roost. Chicken want the highest roost.

Not perfectly sure I see what is what in your pictures, but why do you have two stories? I think I would just knock out the floor under the roost. It would open it up. To me, the entrance is cramped.

Just an idea.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

The reason they are roosting on the edge when you lift the roof, is that is higher than the roost. Chicken want the highest roost.

This^^^

 

[LalaP]

Yes I realize they are roosting on the edge because they want the highest point. That’s why I’ve tried closing the roof.

So last night I closed them in the coop with the roof hatch closed and hung a light outside the window and I watched. All four of them made their way upstairs and onto the roost with no problem. Then they spotting me and I knew they wouldn’t settle down with me there so I left and returned 30 minutes later to find them all cramped on that narrow ledge down below the roosts.
So to me this says that light isn’t the problem (although is may still help them navigate upstairs), and that they feel fine about getting upstairs and onto the roost but would rather sleep on the lower shelf. Why?

 

[LalaP]

The reason they are roosting on the edge when you lift the roof, is that is higher than the roost. Chicken want the highest roost.

Not perfectly sure I see what is what in your pictures, but why do you have two stories? I think I would just knock out the floor under the roost. It would open it up. To me, the entrance is cramped.

Just an idea.

Mrs K

So at this point taking the floor out would mean that the roost would have to be at a similar height to the nest boxes in order for them to be able to jump up onto it in the narrow space.
It’s also structurally difficult with the tools I own.