Hens will not roost in the hen house at night!

[ChickenCanoe]

I have 4 Wyandottes, 1 Ostralorp, 3 RIR, 1 Buff Orpington & 3 Mottled Javas. The Wyandottes and my Ostralorp are the ones that really roost in there. The rest sleep out in the run.
And perhaps "slots" wasn't the right word. Attached is a photo to better explain/give perspective.

You have a good point on acclimation to their environment. Next winter I want to figure out a better plan for a warm space that excludes the need for a heat source. This one isnt quite it. Figuring it out as I go along.

I should mention that this behavior of the hens sleeping out in the run started recently. Before then they always went to the roosts in the hen house!

First photo is an outside view which leads to 2nd & 3rd photo being where ventilation spaces are. 4th pic is the roosts/hen house so you guys can see what I'm talking about

Nice build.

 

[Timmy59]

That's awful!! Sorry to hear that ): what type of snake is that?

I'm a big fan of snakes and don't mind it one bit.. I'm even good with sharing the eggs with them.. But when the wife insists I do something I start relocating them.. It is elaphe or rat snake, intergrade because of our location

 

[benevolent_leonela]

Nice build.

Thank you. We like it too. My husband and I are in the timber Industry and mill slab wood on the side. All materials except hardware, roofing and the dimensional lumber for the roof were materials on our property. Still needs to be finished come spring/summer but had it been anything structural looking it wouldn't match the rustic 100 y/o log cabin we live in :~)

 

[benevolent_leonela]

I'm a big fan of snakes and don't mind it one bit.. I'm even good with sharing the eggs with them.. But when the wife insists I do something I start relocating them.. It is elaphe or rat snake, intergrade because of our location

What a beautiful snake! I love snakes and all reptiles for that matter. Where are you located? We don't have many snakes here in the PNW. Garter snakes and the elusive rubber boa. Only ever seen a rubber boa once in all my years living here and I unfortunately had caught the guy when I was weed eating... I felt so bad.

 

[Timmy59]

What a beautiful snake! I love snakes and all reptiles for that matter. Where are you located? We don't have many snakes here in the PNW. Garter snakes and the elusive rubber boa. Only ever seen a rubber boa once in all my years living here and I unfortunately had caught the guy when I was weed eating... I felt so bad.

That's good to hear.. Oklahoma.. I spent a few weeks up in Westport Wash back in the early 90s.. Yes snake don't fair well when the weed eater meets them.. Pygmy rattle met weed eater who had eaten another harmless earth snake..

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thank you. We like it too. My husband and I are in the timber Industry and mill slab wood on the side. All materials except hardware, roofing and the dimensional lumber for the roof were materials on our property. Still needs to be finished come spring/summer but had it been anything structural looking it wouldn't match the rustic 100 y/o log cabin we live in :~)

I really do like it. And the ventilation isn't bad.
My only recommendation is to replace those high opening chicken wire areas with hardware cloth.

 

[benevolent_leonela]

I really do like it. And the ventilation isn't bad.
My only recommendation is to replace those high opening chicken wire areas with hardware cloth.

I thought about it, but didn't find it necessary and wanted to save hardware cloth for the bottom of coop/run. May I ask why you make that recommendation? Thanks

 

[benevolent_leonela]

That's good to hear.. Oklahoma.. I spent a few weeks up in Westport Wash back in the early 90s.. Yes snake don't fair well when the weed eater meets them.. Pygmy rattle met weed eater who had eaten another harmless earth snake..

Poor critter! The both of them I always try and stomp in the area I'm about to weed eat as I go along to spook anything away and always give a good look before trimming it. I have 2 different species of newts and 5 different species of salamanders that reside on my property. They are very cool and I have so much appreciation for the diversity here!

 

[RubelliteRose]

I thought about it, but didn't find it necessary and wanted to save hardware cloth for the bottom of coop/run. May I ask why you make that recommendation? Thanks

Raccoons can tear through chicken wire like it is tissue paper. My neighbor recently lost all but 2 of his flock to a family of raccoons doing just that His coop is now reinforced with hardware cloth.

 

[benevolent_leonela]

Raccoons can tear through chicken wire like it is tissue paper. My neighbor recently lost all but 2 of his flock to a family of raccoons doing just that His coop is now reinforced with hardware cloth.

Gosh I wouldn't have thought that they would climb up onto the roof and break in! I have definitely had one attempt to dig into the hen house(saw muddy paw prints one morning on the wall). Threw out the rocks I had lined around the bottom and dug down pretty good but was no match for the hardware cloth I had skirted out 2-3ft from the chicken coop and buried. They are very smart, determined critters. But thank you guys for the recommendation. I think I will replace that chicken wire with cloth now!