Coop changes affect my rooster

[Cryss]

This is not about coop construction but about how altering my coop has effected my birds.
First have a look at my coop in "Altering my terrible TS coop".
Second. I have 6 hens and 1 rooster. The original coop held all of them in the upper portion, never meant to hold 7 birds. Yup, I was a dumb newbie. Learned tons here and came up with this solution.
BUT... Roopecca, my rooster, has always had difficulty with roosting. He would go up the ramp into that henhouse area and sleep on the floor while the ladies took over the roost. Since moving the coop he refuses to climb the ramp. While we worked on the enclodure we had to physically lift him in via the clean out door every night.
NOW the enclosure is finished and we let him stay in the downstairs. The original pop door inside is now never closed so he could go up the ramp if he so chose. The hens could chose to join him downstairs which btw does have some perches.
Ok...so whats the problem? I'm worried that this winter all 6 hens will remain upstairs, Roopecca will remain downstairs (not on a perch but on a small 2 inch high movable one I built hoping he would get on it), and, being alone, will be cold! The floor he is on is pine shavings on linoleum, under that is 3/4 inch plywood, under that is a pallet, under that is about 6 inches of drainage rock. Will the floor be too cold? Is the 3.5x7 room too big for 1 bird to stay warm?
Yup, those of you that know me know I'm panicking again.

 

[Robert G]

How old is your roo? Mine couldn't fly up to the roosts when he was young but my hens could when they first started. I would go lift him and put him on the roost each night. Once he developed more and was able to fly higher, he now joins them on his own. Funny thing is they are all the same age and he developed at a slower pace, but it's common in certain breeds that roos develop slower.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Two things may be a possibility. Sometimes roosters like to sit closer to the door kinda like a guard.

I also see your rooster is bigger, he may not be comfortable going up. My Orpington roosters don't roost too high up. It may feel tight to him and he can't maneuver well.

 

[Mrs. K]

Might not be space for him to fly up. Personally, I would make sure there was good bedding below him and not worry about it. He will be able to keep himself warm, if he is kept out of the wind.

Think about it, when in the winter, your winter coat keeps you warm, no one else. Their coats keep them warm. It is not until people take off their coats that they share body heat or sleep under the same blankets. Birds keep themselves warm.

MRs K

 

[Cryss]

How old is your roo? Mine couldn't fly up to the roosts when he was young but my hens could when they first started. I would go lift him and put him on the roost each night. Once he developed more and was able to fly higher, he now joins them on his own. Funny thing is they are all the same age and he developed at a slower pace, but it's common in certain breeds that roos develop slower.

Roopecca and the 2 BO gals are officially a rooster and 2 hens today as it is their first birt...erm...hatch day!

Two things may be a possibility. Sometimes roosters like to sit closer to the door kinda like a guard.

I also see your rooster is bigger, he may not be comfortable going up. My Orpington roosters don't roost too high up. It may feel tight to him and he can't maneuver well.

Before we moved the coop he would often go up the ramp to sit in the open clean out door and watch over his ladies. He always prefered jumping out from there to walking down the ramp, cold days when I wouldnt open the clean out door I'd often need to physically lift him out. Now he won't even step up onto the ramp. He has never roosted. He has pigeon toes and poor balance. The run has an old plastic chair on its side making a good sized roost. The girls learned quickly they could get away from Roopecca by hopping up there. You can almost hear choruses of "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyaaah nyaaah."

Might not be space for him to fly up. Personally, I would make sure there was good bedding below him and not worry about it. He will be able to keep himself warm, if he is kept out of the wind.

Think about it, when in the winter, your winter coat keeps you warm, no one else. Their coats keep them warm. It is not until people take off their coats that they share body heat or sleep under the same blankets. Birds keep themselves warm.

MRs K

He never even attempts to fly up to the roosts in the open run.
Yes, that is what I'm hoping for. I've got a goodly amount of pine shavings down and i believe I have covered all drafts as we enclosed the original attached run area.

Ok. I'm gonna stop panicking and trust his feathers.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If he has foot or leg problems than that may be why he doesn't roost. I have a few older birds with arthritis that will sleep on the floor, or on a flat surface. You could try a very wide board for him.

 

[Cryss]

He is 1 year old today (Yay he's a rooster now!). Yes, I've always known he had a foot problem causing him not to roost. I just don't know why he suddenly wont traverse the ramp since we moved the coop! meanwhile in the downstairs I have provided a variety of roosts should he ever wish. Besides the standard roost that came with the coop and is about 2 feet high I nailed a roost bar that originated in the henhouse to 2 pieces of 2x4making a 2 inch high roost flat on the floor. Also the 2x4s are long enough he could roost on those if he needed a wider roost. Lastly I tossed in an old log I've seen him sit on in the run. Now if I can just observe where he would prefer said roosts to be positioned.

 

[Cryss]

WELL!!!
I guess turning 1 year old and officially a rooster yesterday (see "Happy Hatchday to..." ) was a huge deal for Roopecca. Last night when hubby went out to tuck them in for the night he found Roopecca sitting on the ramp! Then, before we went to bed, he just "had to" check in on him. There was Roopecca sitting in his usual spot on the floor in the upstairs surrouded by his gals.
Now, I know that the upstairs is wayyyy too small for 7 birds. After all that's why I enclosed the entire coop so as to extend the floor space from 7 sqft to 31.5 sqft. If they are happier snuggling in tight at night I'm not going to stress over it. I AM leaving the pop door open so they can go downstairs whenever they feel like it.
Meanwhile, YAY ROOPECCA! Well done.

 

[Cryss]

AND he came down the ramp and out without me opening the clean out door! Things are looking good for not needing to open that door in winter!

 

[sourland]

'Pigeon toes and poor balance' explain a lot. Unless we have a very unusual NJ winter he should do fine in his chosen sleeping arrangement.