My chickens not on roost at night

[JessChickengirl06]

I have 5 pullets and 1 cockerel and they don’t roost they have a beautiful coop with run and dont free range. Just free range in a pen we made and relocate when needed for 1-2 hours a day. (I like them more confined i worry about their safety)

they get in the coop and all sleep close and some at the coop door. We don’t close it because it’s attached to run and they go in at dust.
But they don’t roost they like sleeping on the soft hay on the floor.
Is this a problem?!? They are beautiful and healthy and now 1 is laying.

 

[MarkJr]

Roosting on a large flat surface doesn’t allow them to get up out of their own feces.

If they are sleeping right at the door, I suspect it may be a ventilation issue. Could you snap a picture of your setup? There are bright minds here that can spot potential issues that would slip by most people.

 

[JessChickengirl06]

Roosting on a large flat surface doesn’t allow them to get up out of their own feces.

If they are sleeping right at the door, I suspect it may be a ventilation issue. Could you snap a picture of your setup? There are bright minds here that can spot potential issues that would slip by most people.

We have open vent across from both sides and we keep windows open at night because they have wiring over them to keep pry out.
First photo shows the coop door open into the run

Second is the side window we keep open

Third is the nesting box opening on bottom to collect eggs and top vent we now have open always

the coop and run pic

We live in Florida. Today was 90 out and this will be our first winter however we won’t get below 35 even in coldest night/mornings and days below 40-45 if that.

 

[JessChickengirl06]

Here is inside coop. They all fit across the roosting bar or go on top of the nesting boxes during the day. At night however they don’t very much.

 

[MarkJr]

Is just the window and the pop door open at night, and more open during the day?

 

[JessChickengirl06]

Is just the window and the pop door open at night, and more open during the day?

No the vent on top of nesting boxes and window across on other side and coop door to run all open all the time.

 

[MarkJr]

No the vent on top of nesting boxes and window across on other side and coop door to run all open all the time.

But there are more open during the day?

 

[JessChickengirl06]

But there are more open during the day?

No should their be? We don’t let them free range due to our rental we are in and the land not so secure. We let them in a fun area pen to when we get home to graze and also weekends.

it has a nice cross vent flow in coop and run is all fenced and nice under coop etc. They love it down there

This is their pen to graze. We move it around for them.

 

[MarkJr]

I’m thinking the coop is undersized. Rule of thumb is 4 sqft per bird in coop. 10 in run. Also, one sqft of ventilation per bird.
I’m betting they are staying close to the pop door because the air moves through it and isn’t hot and stuffy. After it cools down, it’s dark and they aren’t able to go elsewhere.

 

[MarkJr]

But. I’m sure someone with more knowledge will pipe in and help out. You have a beautiful little setup. Some tweaks and I’ll bet they start roosting just fine.