Girls not Roosting

902Golden

In the Brooder
Sep 24, 2018
7
5
24
Colorado
My girls are 15 weeks old and have been in the coop since they were 8 weeks old. Since moving to their coop they have been sleeping on the floor in a pile by the pop-door. The were roosting in their brooder before moving to the coop. I live in Colorado where the temperatures have been dropping into the teens at night.

Should I be moving the ladies to the roost at night? Not sure if I should be doing something to encourage them to sleep on the roosts. I don't know how they aren't all covered in poop the way they currently sleep.

I have included pictures of the coop in case there are issues with the design that I'm not aware of. These pictures were taken prior to moving them into the coop. There are wood chips on the floor and Sweet PDZ on the poop boards below the roosting bars.

Thank you.
 

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Hello 902Golden.
Welcome to BYC.
I would consider making the roost bars higher off the poop board if that's what it is. I've found that between 6 inches and 18 inches works here.
I don't think I would have the chicken toys either.;)
 
Cute coop
What were they roosting on in the brooder? was it a 2x4 like they have now in the big coop?
Are they getting a draft from the window when on the roosts?
Maybe they are huddling together to keep warm.

Just a quick comment - With the way it is attached, the wire mesh for the window will be very easy for a predator to push in. Screw some wood trim (or scrap pieces of wood) over the edges so the wire mesh is sandwiched between wood and the wall. It is much more secure that way.
 
They were roosting on tree limbs. Now that I think of it, they are roosting on tree branches in the run. The tree limbs are only about 2 inches in diameter. Maybe they don't like the 2X4s.

Thank you for noticing the the hardware cloth is only stapled. I close the windows at night (and in the winter). I will add the trim to help secure it.
 
Hello 902Golden.
Welcome to BYC.
I would consider making the roost bars higher off the poop board if that's what it is. I've found that between 6 inches and 18 inches works here.
I don't think I would have the chicken toys either.;)

I should be able to raise the roosts higher above the poop boards.
 
You can try placing them on the roost right as it gets dark, and repeat that for a few days and see if they get the hint. They might not understand that that's where you want them to sleep.

Also that looks like linoleum on the ramp, which might be too slippery for them. I see cleats on there but the spacing is pretty far apart. Have you actually seen them using the ramp at all?
 
Are your girls Silkies that can't fly? They may not be able to get up there. That ramp does look slick.

I can't tell what your ventilation is like. Would a cold breeze hit them when they are up there? WyoDreamer may be onto something.

It's hard to tell if they have enough room to spread their wings and fly up there or fly back down. That ramp may be causing you more problems than it helps.

My broody hens typically sleep with theirr chicks on the floor in the same spot each night. My brooder raised chicks typically sleep on the floor in the same spot in a group until they start to roost. I've had older chickens sleep on shelves. They are not covered in poop. It doesn't bother me for them to sleep on the floor or something similar. If the poop is building up where they sleep toss a few treats like Black Oil Sunflower Seeds in that area and they will clear the area with their scratching. I've never had to do that but you might.

As long as they are not sleeping in the nests and are sleeping somewhere predator-proof I leave mine alone and let them sleep wherever they wish. They eventually work it out. However, if your coop is dark at night so they can't see very well, moving at least a few to the roosts after dark can usually speed up that process. When one starts roosting at night the rest usually soon follow.

Perching is where they play on high things during the day. It's a favorite game. Roosting is where they sleep on high things at night. I'm not sure if yours were roosting or perching in the brooder and run.

Many people have strong opinions on what chickens like to roost on. Mine have roosted on tree branches, 2x4's flat, 2x4's on edge, and on wide shelves. I've seen mine trying to perch on a vertical sheet of 3/8" plywood. They'd soon fall off and go back up there to try again. Great fun. Location seems to be a lot more important than the shape of the roost with mine. I don't see anything wrong with your roost but you can try changing it if you wish, maybe use a different shape. I would look at raising it, not because I think it will help get then to roost up here, if they wanted to roost they'd sleep on the droppings board. They prefer to sleep on the flat floor now don't they? I'd look at whether raising it gives me better access to clean it.

Good luck!
 
Agrees roosts could be higher off board, not for roosting purposes but ease of cleaning.
Mine are about 8" off board.

Also agrees ramp is not functional, too steep and too slippery. Add more cleats and raise lower end up about 16", I use a concrete block for that purpose.

Have birds ever been up there?
I'd put them up there, both during the day and after dark at night.

full
 
My own roosts are about 4 feet off the ground, and I just have hatchery birds, but full size, and I don't have a ramp at all. I do have a bench about 2 feet off the ground, and some jump there, then up to roost, but most just fly to the roost and fly down.

I don't think you would need the ramp at all.

Mrs K
 

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