little hens want to sleep outside their coop in the run

[LuckyCluckyCA]

so I have an unusual set up its a big L shape around a giant shipping container and between a fence. I'm in the city, so it was a use what space you can situation. The L is topped by a main coop where the original 2 bantams sleep. there is room for more, but we are just now mixing the birds together because they came from different spaces, In the center of the L is a small coop made of a dog house. next to it is the big girl coop that currently only houses 3 big girls. Big girls and little girls have not mixed but have been able to see each other through the hardware cloth. just past the big girl house is another enclosed run. The little party girls who have the doghouse coop like to play on top of the big girl coop and their own and hang out on a ladder I made them that is near the roof of the runs. They really want to sleep above their coop on the perch. All the others go to bed in their coops each night. I had read to make the girls coop up at night, but wondering how big a deal is it to just let them be happy on their roost? the area is totally fenced in so there's no where to go. and they are high - 5 1/2 feet up. In the photo they like to sleep on the far left rung. which of course puts poop all over the ladder to the doghouse coop and I have to clean it each day, but wow do they like it there. Only the 2 D'uccles sleep there, Henny Penny goes to her coop. She just became friends with them this week, so I was happy to see the girls together when I took this pic yesterday.

opinions?

 

[Mrs. K]

Your dog coop is too low. Chicken like to roost up, the highest they can get. They will probably be fine there, no need for the dog coop at all.

Mrs K

 

[LuckyCluckyCA]

well the only egg I got was in the egg box in that house. But maybe I can take it out. Today one of the littles made friends with the big hens so they might all end up cooping together. The other party girl was over with the other smalls so she hasn't met them yet.

 

[LuckyCluckyCA]

maybe I'll try to make it higher too. Just put some pallets under it. or something.

 

[chickens really]

If they were never trained to go to sleep in the dog house they will not use it to sleep. They will need to be locked in as the sun goes down and make sure it has proper ventilation.

 

[LuckyCluckyCA]

The top often I put in screens and there are several round ones in the back- the 1 egg I got was in the nest box in this house- today it’s rainingvand those 2 duccles are splashing about- the others are in their coops

 

[LuckyCluckyCA]

Well they made friends w the big ladies they could stay w them now too - I guess what I meant was does it matter much if they don’t sleep in a solid box coop but are in an enclosed corner of a run