Hens not using the roosts in the Coop

[Mr BrahmaRama]

My hens are 19 weeks old. I've noticed they are not using the roosts inside the coop. I have the roosts at 16". I added a lower bar set at about 10 inches thinking they needed a step up. I have a variety of birds. The brown leghorn and blue andalusian occasionally hop up onto the roosts but still choose to sleep on the floor. The other hens are all heavy breeds, buff orpington, light brahma, partridge cochin, and New Hampshire. They'll all use the roosts in the run, but all sleep huddled together on the floor.

Do you see any problems with my setup in the coop? I was thinking, perhaps when it starts getting cold out they'll naturally want to get up off the floor for warmth. Any thoughts?

 

[Bailey1204]

Some chickens just don't like roosts. I mean maybe they move onto the roost's during the night and you just don't know it. You may be right also, that they sleep together on the floor for warmth as your door is right y the roost's. Apart from that maybe (note:I said maybe) being a heat issue I don't see any problems with your coop.

 

[Cheep N Peep]

Maybe they don't like to roost where the ceiling is so low. My chickens (21 wks) roosted on the poop board while I was building it, but as soon as I built the actual roosts, everyone hopped up on them and played on them all day. I think they liked being on the highest vantage point in the coop. My bantam was distraught when she couldn't hop up, so I built her a beautiful step up... which she used, and promptly learned to jump up from floor to poop board to roost like the others, so now she doesn't even look at it anymore.

Try making a the roost temporarily longer so that it pokes out from under the lower roof to see if it works. You could also try making a roost that stretches from the bottom of the window to the opposite wall.
Just thinking out loud, so sorry if it sounds silly.

 

[amiachicknorwat]

I dont see "nesting boxes" I thought are Also Known As roosts. I see two perches, with that step up, good ventilation, nice feeder and waterer. But being new to chicken farming I've yet to get clear on both nomenclature and what's actually needed. Tho from my short experience I have noticed they like an enclosed area (hence nesting boxes) to lay eggs, but will sleep perched or on floor, depending how/if their bedding is laid, wherever is comfy. So if they're not yet laying it's good still to get boxes in place ahead of time, i'd think. Good luck with it, Nick

 

[Hokum Coco]

My hens are 19 weeks old. I've noticed they are not using the roosts inside the coop.
Any thoughts?

Temperature could be playing a factor; that coupled with the fact they are not laying yet. Time will make things right.

 

[desertrocks]

I am glad to hear that the fact that they are not laying yet could be a factor.
I have had ample roosting space in place for some time now. They do use them during the day after feeding but have not yet migrated to the roosts at night. We have a roo and hen that are about a month older and they do roost at night. The other 22 gather up on the floor in a corner of the pen still. The older pair are about 5 months and the rest a month or so younger.
I figure that when they are ready, they will join the other 2, probably a couple at a time.

 

[Mr BrahmaRama]

I dont see "nesting boxes" I thought are Also Known As roosts. I see two perches, with that step up, good ventilation, nice feeder and waterer. But being new to chicken farming I've yet to get clear on both nomenclature and what's actually needed. Tho from my short experience I have noticed they like an enclosed area (hence nesting boxes) to lay eggs, but will sleep perched or on floor, depending how/if their bedding is laid, wherever is comfy. So if they're not yet laying it's good still to get boxes in place ahead of time, i'd think. Good luck with it, Nick

I do have nesting boxes in place, they just are not visible in the first picture. My hens are not laying yet, but it looks like a couple of them are getting close. My Orp and Leghorn are both showing the signs. This is the view from the other side of the coop.

 

[amiachicknorwat]

Nice looking boxes. Oh, so those 2x4's in the first pic are called "roosts", which I called perches and nesting boxes are nesting boxes? Is there a glossary on this site? No prob, I'll figure it out...one day

 

[Wannabechiklady]

My 7 20-week-old chickens were all huddling together on the floor of the coop at the beginning of the night up until about a week or two ago. Now 3 or 4 still huddle together, but the others are starting to roost. And one sometimes sleeps in the nesting boxes. But by the morning, they are all on the roosts, so I'm not sure when that transition occurs. Hope that helps.

 

[amiachicknorwat]

My 9 chicks are almost 9 weeks old and maybe two weeks ago many were trying to fit into one roost (nesting box) for sleep, like old school college students fitting into a phone booth. I prefer nesting box over roost for where eggs are layed cuz it dont make sense to call it a roost unless we switched things around and called hens roosters. I'm just enjoying watching them grow and develop, not that I dont wonder when they'll start laying, but shrug.