Chickens won't use roosts

[SarahGfa]

I have 3 separate roosts in the coop, but the chickens will only use the one roost over the door. Two chickens keep getting pushed off that roost so they sleep in the nest boxes instead of going to the other roosts.
I think they don't like to sleep over a poop board, and they don't like to have a ladder next to them.

Should I add more roosts? where? here is a bird's eye view of the coop. Red circles show where they sleep now.

 

[RojoMarz]

OK... I thought I could just add a 2x4 somewhere easy. I am not a carpenter and I don't have a truck so it's really hard to just take things apart and rebuild. I know a lot of people here can build a coop in a weekend but that is not me. The "cardboard cabinets" are actually made out of tempered plywood. I even got cabinet hinges and latches but couldn't mount anything straight. They were supposed to look like kitchen cabinets but they came out looking like junk. So that is how bad my construction skills are.

My construction skills are abysmal...but, I've made wind/snow protectors for the sides of my run. They may look like crud and took me way longer than it would take someone else, but they are done, by me and they work. Don't knock your skills to much...you did try and the look functional, thus are a success.

 

[Fluffs_flock]

What is the height of the roost?
Chickens like to sleep high, maybe make it longer so they don't push others off and higher?

 

[4yearsofchickens]

I have 11 chickens and two roosts. 10 of my chickens cram onto one roost to sleep. The other one sleeps in the window and refuses to sleep anywhere else lol. I gave up trying to fix it. If you need to have them sleep on a specific roost, remove the other ones. If one isn't long enough, is there a place to install one so that it's long enough for all the chickens? It seems like they like sleeping together so they can keep warmer, and when they're out of room, they find another warm spot to sleep, in your case, a nest box.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Personally, I think 6' up is to high. How much landing room do they have when getting down? I know mine need at least 1' horizontal for every foot vertical.

Pics would definitely help.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought I had pics on my other computer . I will take new pics tomorrow but the coop is dirty and unphotogenic right now

No one will be offended to see a dirty coop.

 

[aart]

I will take new pics tomorrow but the coop is dirty and unphotogenic right now

That doesn't matter, we've see it every day
It great to see newly built and 'photogenic' coops....but I'm a realist.

 

[NatJ]

I feel like people are not understanding my question AT ALL. How do I delete this thread?

If you want the thread deleted, look at one of your own posts and click "report." A box should pop up, letting you type something--say you want it deleted, and why. That sends a message to a moderator, who is able to delete the whole thread. Or you could ask them to lock the thread (no new posts, but old ones still visible) if you might want to re-read posts later but do not want any more new advice.

To address the questions in your original post:

Should I add more roosts? where?

I suspect that more roosts would make no difference, and I'm not sure where to add them.

For whatever reason, your chickens have all decided that particular roost is best. If you take it out, they would have to choose a different roost to use. If you leave it there, but add an even "better" roost, they will probably all move to the better one.

I don't know exactly what makes one better than another for chickens.
Often it's the highest one, but it could be the one with the best ventilation, the one in the most sheltered place, the one with the best view, the one that is new and exciting, the one that is old and familiar, the one that everybody else wants, the one with a different texture or shape or size, or some other reason that I haven't thought of. Chickens are confusing that way.

I think they don't like to sleep over a poop board, and they don't like to have a ladder next to them.

You might be right.

Two chickens keep getting pushed off that roost so they sleep in the nest boxes instead of going to the other roosts.

You could go out after dark and put them on one of the other roosts. Sometimes they will get the point after a few nights and start sleeping on the other roost by themselves. (And sometimes they won't, but it might be worth trying.)

 

[ackie]

Also using the empty space between the 2x4 is brilliant and the kind of critical thinking that leads to good construction ability. You can learn how to properly do all the construction techniques way easier than you can learn creativity haha. You'll get it.

 

[ackie]

Man, that looks like it's up high....and what's underneath it, some kind of other room or closet?
I'd love to help you reconfigure this building....but hard to help when I can't see the whole thing.

step 1: set up 360 degrees of security camera view
step 2: give aart access
never have to answer any questions again
;p