Floor Sleeping?

[hezevz]

I have my four girls in a very decent sized chicken house with a full play yard. Lots of roosting room for them both inside and outside.
I've seen them use their indoor roost a bunch of times during the day. I got them when they were 3 days old. Even as babies when I had them in a fancy wooden box set up with a roost inside they only occasionally would sleep on the roost, usually they slept in a pile together.

At bedtime they sleep in a big pile on the ground against their window. Any reasons why? Should I worry?

 

[94countrygrl]

Hi I have owned chickens for 6 years and many of my girls sleep either on the floor under the nest boxes, or even on top of my nesting boxes. Somethimes I think they just dont like sleeing on a roost. However there could be a couple things to check.

1. Height and location of roost..
a. make sure its not too far from the ground, it can cause damage to their feet and legs
b. is it in a drafty location? they may not sleep there because its drafty and colder
2. temperature of coop...
a. your hens may be sleeping in a pile because they're too cold... (have you checked your coop for drafts? Drafts can actually be the cause of quite a few problems!)
3. Protection from predators...
a. they might sleep huddled together because they are afraid of something...
4. Your roost...
a. what shape is your roost? how big of a bar is it? (is it a thin peice, thick, round, square?) is it a 2x4?
b. chickens roosts need to be either round and wide enough for them to grasp their toes around... or square.. i used 2x2's for my roosts and my girls are fine with them.

After checking for these things and nothing comes up, or you correct them... I would just say that your girls prefer to sleep huddled together.. and I wouldnt be worried about anything!

Let me know what you find out! And good luck!

 

[hezevz]

1. My inside roost is probably about two to three feet off the ground and it takes up the entire right side of the wall. (way to much space for me to only have 4 chickens in there dumb regulations).. As for a draft, I don't think it's very drafty in there. From what I've noticed it's surprisingly comfortable inside the coop compared to the chilly outside weather now.

2. I already said this, but temperature in the coop is comfortable. I'm going to put covering over two of their windows and part of their yard to help once the winter gets really rough and it starts to snow, but right now I think the overall temperature is good.

3. They definitely could be scared of predators because I do have a lot of wildlife in my backyard, but they're extremely safe. I basically have a chicken penitentiary without the barbed wire.

4. My roost is made of a piece of natural branch. It's a larger size around, but it varies a little across the whole piece. It's round and has a very interesting texture/grip on it (reason why we used it). Definitely big enough for their feet.

I'm beginning to think they might just be silly girls who like the floor. They absolutely love their huge viewing window. It's actually an old, thick, glass table top that we were getting rid of. They see all sorts of creatures, but they seem more curious then scared.

Thinking about them just liking to sleep there, I actually noticed today when I was in the house with them right before their bedtime they all came and snuggled against me like they were accepting me sleeping with them tonight.

 

[94countrygrl]

Yah it sounds like your coop is well suited for your chickens! and it sounds like they do just like sleeping on the floor!! like mine!!

 

[azygous]

Lately, I've had two hens who want to settle in on the floor, either under the nest boxes, or behind the low perch they'd been roosting on up until now.

Chickens are creatures of habit, and if you, for whatever reason, wish for them to sleep on the perch, then you need to place them there so they'll get back into the habit again. When I find these hens on the floor, I put them on the perch and they usually remain. The next night they're on the floor again, and I put them back on the perch because that's where I want them.

If you don't care, there's no harm in them sleeping wherever they want, but you'll have more mess to clean up if you clean every morning as I do.

 

[Beulah89]

My girls huddle on the ground under their nesting box. I don't get why lol. But now that it's starting to rain I'm worried it might get a little wet for them so I might start encouraging roosting

 

[hezevz]

I'm glad to know my girls are just weirdos. I'm not too worried about where they like to sleep. The coop is extremely safe and weather resistant so if they want to sleep on the floor then they can. Thanks everyone!