Flock Sleeping Outside

[stonehouse]

Hey Y'all.

My flock of a eleven hans and a rooster (and a peackck and hen) Are sleeping on the foundation lip on the outside of the barn.
They know to go indoors to lay and eat, but I'm afraid I'm going to wake one morning to a dead flock.

I've had another flock for about 4 years that we recycled for the peafowl last year to make a new pecking order and the last flock slept indoors on the 8 foot perches.

They get the lower half of a 16' square barn with a hole in the side with a 10 x 16 foot run and they free range in the afternoons.

What should I do and have any of y'all seen this before?

Thanks in advance.

 

[stonehouse]

Bump.
Anyone have any ideas?

 

[GardenSimply]

stonehouse, I've had this happen before. There could be more than one or two reasons. There could be rats aggravating them, a bit cold for snakes, but the point is, if there is something creeping them out, they may not go in. I had birds coming outside in the dead of winter after having roosted inside just fine.

From what you posted though, it seems they have never quieted inside at all? You could try picking them up after dark and putting them inside where you want them. If you find them back outside then you will know that is simply where they want to sleep.

If you are too worried you could close them in at night and let them out in the morning.

 

[stonehouse]

I think that's a great idea to check for pests.
A couple small holes have definitely opened up in the 200 year old barn.
I'll let the birds out tomorrow and send in the cats.
Thanks for the idea!

Do you think they could survive the winter with only wire on three sides?

 

[GardenSimply]

Sure, I have had them survive some very cold winters outside. It can cause problems for them, however, frostbite is icky stuff. We have a guinea that has no toes because of it. Well, I assume that is what happened. I never saw it, one day last summer, I simply noticed she had no toes. Now, I KNOW she had them all when we got her as a baby! So I am not certain how it escaped me. I simply noticed one day that she didn't run as fast, hung around the coop more than the other guineas, and that they picked on her. She came running before anyone when there was food going out. She was far more dependent since she couldn't forage as well... poor little thing! So, yeah, something you'd like to avoid.

But! I honestly doubt that if they know to go in (like laying nest, good roosts, etc) that they will opt to stay outside when it really gets too cold for them. IF you worry, then when you know the temps are going to be dangerously cold, or there is a very bad storm coming, block them inside for a day or two... it won't hurt them to stay inside for a bit.

This is "Stumpy No Toes"

 

[Chookydeb]

mine insist on roosting on the railing outside my office, every night i have to go out before bed and put 7 sleepy chooks in their house, i'm pretty sure if i left them there they would be eaten by a fox