my chickens won't roost! help!

[Nutcase]

Does anyone know how to encourage chickens to roost? Every night my chickens sleep clinging on to the rim of their nesting area. They make it filthy! There are roosts in the coop but they refuse to use them. They used to roost until the nesting boxes were added to the coop. The boxes are getting run down now from all the weight of the hens so I was thinking I should remove and replace them. There is another nesting place which they do lay in but the other one they sleep in. Any suggestions? The hygiene of the coop continues to deteriorate while those silly chickens keep doing this!

 

[jeepguy982001]

Just a ? are the roost higher then the nest boxes. And if your chickens aren't laying yet you could block the boxes so they can't get in.

 

[Nutcase]

The roosts are about the same height as the nesting boxes. They are already laying and the nesting boxes are uncovered so it won't be easy covering them over securely. They never laid any eggs there anyway. Should I remove them completely and put roosts in their place? They do have another nesting area as I said before.

 

[Nutcase]

The roosts are about the same height as the nesting boxes (which is reasonably high but still accessible). The nesting boxes are uncovered and open-topped so it won't be easy covering them over securely. And yes, they are laying already. The chickens never laid any eggs in these nesting boxes anyway so maybe I should remove them completely and replace them with roosts? They do already have another place to lay eggs.

 

[jeepguy982001]

I don't know what your coup looks like but as a general rule chickens like to sleep high. So you need to raise your roost or lower your boxes. Doesn't need to be much my roost are about even with the top of my boxes and they all stay on the roost.

 

[Nutcase]

Whoops sorry I didn't realised I'd posted twice. I think I will remove the nesting boxes in question and secure roosts in their place. Hopefully that should work. I use long bars of wood for my roosts and strong branches.

 

[Nutcase]

Any other suggestions?

 

[texas hiker]

The roosts are about the same height as the nesting boxes (which is reasonably high but still accessible). The nesting boxes are uncovered and open-topped so it won't be easy covering them over securely.

There is your problem, the roost need to be higher then the laying boxes, and put some kind of slopped roof on the boxes.

Maybe replace the boxes with buckets laid on their side?

 

[laturcotte1]

I have a roost that goes from one end of the coop to the other end 12 feet long and two white hens that do not ever roost there. They only roost on the dividers dividing the nesting boxes. They don't lay eggs in this area but it makes for a mess. I've decided to put shavings in this area and so solves the problem. i go in and push the shavings into the trash then drop a couple handfuls back in the area. My old hens all roosted and used all four nesting boxes these girls are totally different.

 

[Nutcase]

Thanks laturcotte1! Your post has helped and I think I will go for wood shavings. Does anyone think I should put the buckets above the ground or not?