External Roost - Good or Bad Idea?

[johnywilsonaus]

Hi everyone,

I have a bantam that is constantly roosting on the fence of the pen and the coop itself, I beleive she is doing this because she is being picked on heavily from the rest of the flock.

Would it be a good idea to build some roosts that are external to the coop? or are there some disadvantages to doing this?

Cheers,
Johny

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would not allow any of the chickens to spend the night outside, but roosts outside in the run are fine for daytime.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I had a similar situation last year where one girl was sleeping in the nesting box because she didn't want to roost with the others. I gave her a small separate roosting spot in the coop away from the main roost and that solved the problem.

 

[aart]

Good to have a few roosts or stumps or pallets or other things around the run....for interest and/or hiding places.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Is the place you can put up extra roosts in the run or some other area that is predator proof? With chickens roosting outside overnight, predators are the biggest concern since chickens basically don't react at night to threats (and weather maybe if it gets really cold where you are).

 

[johnywilsonaus]

Sorry, I should have explained a bit better.

They all sleep in a predator proof coopg at night but spend the day in a large fenced off run. It is during the day that she is roosting or what appears to be hiding from the others.

So it is okay to have roosts in the run and the coop?

Cheers,
Johny

 

[ivan3]

Sorry, I should have explained a bit better. They all sleep in a predator proof coopg at night but spend the day in a large fenced off run. It is during the day that she is roosting or what appears to be hiding from the others. So it is okay to have roosts in the run and the coop? Cheers, Johny

Ours appreciate them:

 

[aart]

Sorry, I should have explained a bit better.

They all sleep in a predator proof coopg at night but spend the day in a large fenced off run. It is during the day that she is roosting or what appears to be hiding from the others.

So it is okay to have roosts in the run and the coop?

Cheers,
Johny

Yes. Unless you have a open topped run and you don't want them getting out...sometimes a roost or other object gives them a launch pad to fly or jump out.
.....and hopefully they won't get the idea to roost there at night because it's easier than finding a safe place in the coop to roost, so watch for that...might just take some training.

 

[sn0wwhite]

I've got a 2x4 roost in the house for sleeping, but a closet dowel rod in a corner of the covered run and I know they use it so they must like it. I also put a 2x4 on its side raised only about 3 inches off the ground in the run portion that is under the house just in case they're not behaving and someone wants to roost somewhere else... or it's colder and rainier and they want to be in a more protected area. So, 2 outdoor roost options.

 

[Highcotton]

Quote:
Bantams tend to roost up high. They can fly better is probably one reason. I have one Bantam, a rooster. I put a roost up high in my covered run and he goes to that roost before anyone else goes to roost and starts crowing. I don't know why maybe he is calling the flock to roost. He roosts there all night. I am wondering if he will continue roosting outside through the winter. It gets down to 17 here one or two nights a year. There are plenty of unoccupied roosts in the coop. Most of the flock roost together in one end of the 4X8 coop. My original intent was to give them a place to escape in case a predator gets in. Byron