Girls still not roosting, new coop!

[kerbotx]

Could it be too dark in there? Chickens have really poor night vision, so if they are waiting too long to go to the roost, they may not be able to see their way to it.

 

[Aunt Angus]

My cockerel didn't roost. He stayed on the floor of the mini coop with the Silkies. I just let him stay there because I figured he was being kept warm by the Silkies. Two nights ago, I went out to lock them up for the night, and he was on the roost. He's an itty bitty Sebright, so a 2" roost is just right.

In the walk in coop, my big girls, however, have the 4" side of a 2 x 4. I had one, a Cochin, who didn't roost with her sisters. Found out it was because it was too high. I lowered it to just 6" high, and all 5 of my big girls roost together every night.

 

[B-Goock]

I always put 2x4s as my roost. The 4" side. They can cover their feet up in the winter.

 

[aart]

It has been a few weeks since my last update, and I am still struggling to get the girls to roost. I changed out the branches for much larger branches (about 2.75 in. diameter) if I place the girls on their roosts, they will stay there all night and not move, but if I just let them go into the coop they still huddle in a corner together on the floor. I have 4 windows that all batten down now and keep these closed at night. Is there any reason a chicken needs to roost? The floor is covered in thick pine shavings that I clean every day to every other day, they can still cover their feet with their bodies, and they don't seem to care at all (rather they seem to prefer) about being in a corner. Should I just give up trying to get them to roost if they don't seem keen on doing so? The Coop is raised 3 feet, and I have an automatic locking chicken door.

Please post pics of new roosts and the measurements of their length..
....and some pics of outside of coop and ventilation.

 

[Cryss]

Please post pics of new roosts and the measurements of their length..
....and some pics of outside of coop and ventilation.

This.