New rooster won't sleep in coop

[chickmashnoon]

Introduced a rooster into my flock- they all seem to get along well the first day together with nary a feather ruffle, but I came home this evening and he was sleeping on top of the coop, not inside like all the hens. Is this because they don't want to share their roost with him yet? or is this because he wants to be a lookout and is more comfortable in the highest spot? I guess it's okay for now, but when it gets cold the guy is gonna freeze his wattles off if he stays up there! I did not see any of the hens pick at him and I watched them for a good couple hours, of course they are sneaky chickens and they very well could have waited until I wasn't looking. Is sleeping outside the coop something I should worry about? He is still enclosed in a run so he's safe from predators.

 

[galanie]

How long has he been with them? Has he been spending his nights in the coop until now? He could be up there for either of the reasons you state, but I'd rather see him in the coop too.

 

[chickmashnoon]

Well, tonite will be the second nite. and both nites he has slept outside the coop. We just got him, but he seems to have gotten along well with the ladies. No fights that I have seen. I tried to put him in the first nite, but he flapped and wouldn't stay on the perch, then shot out of the coop and bounced around the run in the dark like a giant feathered pinball until I scooped him up and put him back on top of the coop where he had been. I felt bad for scaring the crap outta him so I may wait a week until he settles in and then start stuffing him in the coop. My coop is completely enclosed in the run, so even on top he's protected from critters, I'm just worried he'll get too cold.

 

[klmclain1]

I think he's probably fine... if he gets cold, he'll go inside.....

 

[chickmashnoon]

I sure hope so. If I come out some morning and he's covered in frost I'll have to rename him Tyson to fit the frozen chicken image.

 

[klmclain1]

BAHAHAHAAH!!!!

 

[GoChick]

I hope you don't have any predators around? He wouldn't last one night outside the coop where I live...
I had he same problem, new cockerel introduced to the flock, not wanting to sleep inside and instead wanting to sleep on the roof, but I have tons of raccoons around, so I had to catch him and lock him inside, against his wish. After three nights, he started to go inside by himself.

I think it'd be safer to just put him inside every night until he figures it out...

 

[chickmashnoon]

My coop is completely enclosed in the run and the run is a covered one, made with hardware cloth and has the shelves from the wire storage shelving units sunk into the ground around it to deter digging animals. I let them freerange after I get home from work, about 5pm to sunset. They head back to the coop and put themselves to bed, and when I see them in there, I come out and close the door to the run. He follows the girls back into the run in the evening, so he has enough sense to go back to the run. Do you think he is just being a gentleman? I've seen him go in the coop during the day, i guess giving moral support to the hens in there, so he knows where the entrance is. He's been in it several times, just not at nite.