Night time dramas

[PirateGirl]

how much space between roost bars and the wall?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

So I'm hoping that the more experienced chicken mama & papa's out there have the answer that I'm looking for.

I have 5 Red-sex link hens. They are all raised together and are 5 months old today. Since moving from the Nursery in the living room to their own home outside, all five have slept in the coop at night (mid-May). Every night they will line up on the veranda outside of their coop and then march into bed when the sun was settle. Occasionally one (usually the same one) would sleep down in the straw under the roost or in a nesting box. No biggie.

However, for the last two weeks. Two of my girls will watch as the other three file into the coop, and then they will lay down, snuggle up with each other, and fall asleep. Every night I have to pick them up, and put them to bed. Now, their run is completely enclosed with hardware fabric (top & bottom included), so I'm not overly worried about predators, but I do worry that it will get to cold at night, and I will wake up to frozen chicken nuggets.

Should I be concern that these two do not appear to want to sleep with their sisters? What do you think? I've attached a photo of their run & coop. It's an older photo … just before construction was completed … but you can see the coop on top, and the run below. The white board is where the girls fall asleep.

Looks like the coop is too small for five chickens. The two probably do not want to go in because they probably get pecked at, they are probably lower in the pecking order.

 

[slordaz]

To me that don't look big enough for 5 hens , that alone would cause drama, I also don't see any hardware cloth on the bottom of it to keep digging predators out of it and they wouldn't be able to get away if one got in there. also doesn't show how much space between the roost and the wall, if there isn't enough they will not want to roost on it. My hens took over the other side I was gonna use for tools and storage , but during the winter when we hit -30 you will see em all down on the floor in the straw but they don't like their insulated coop

 

[PirateGirl]

also things like mites in the coop will cause a disruption in sleeping patterns

 

[Butterbane]

To me that don't look big enough for 5 hens , that alone would cause drama, I also don't see any hardware cloth on the bottom of it to keep digging predators out of it and they wouldn't be able to get away if one got in there. also doesn't show how much space between the roost and the wall, if there isn't enough they will not want to roost on it. My hens took over the other side I was gonna use for tools and storage , but during the winter when we hit -30 you will see em all down on the floor in the straw but they don't like their insulated coop

The hardware cloth on the bottom is below the 12 inches of dirt & three inches of rock (also under the cinderblock & gravel outer foundation).

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The run is 8x10, so the coop looks to be 2x10. That's 20 sq ft, a total of 4 sq ft per bird. Each bird gets an area of space two feet by two feet. They will fit there, but there is not much room to move or maneuver there. If the first hen in moves clear down to the end and the next hen in snuggles right next to her and so forth, all will fit. But hens aren't like that. The first one in might sit in the middle and peck anyone who gets close to her. So the next two hens will peck back and make her move down, but .... well, there realistically isn't room for five hens in there.

 

[aart]

so the coop looks to be 2x10

Actually the coop doesn't go the whole span of the run,
if you look closely you can see the edge of the coop and a 'porch' to the left.
I am waiting for actual measurements and pics of interior.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Actually the coop doesn't go the whole span of the run,
if you look closely you can see the edge of the coop and a 'porch' to the left.
I am waiting for actual measurements and pics of interior.

Even if it were 2x10, I don't believe it would be comfortable or adequate for 5 floofy hens. Perhaps OP learned what they needed to know and has gone to fix it and will soon be back. I hope so!

 

[micstrachan]

Looks like the coop is too small for five chickens. The two probably do not want to go in because they probably get pecked at, they are probably lower in the pecking order.

^^This^^