Not on roost at night

[ginger girl]

I have noticed the last few weeks that one of my hens spends the night on the floor of the coop. I have a small (4x4) coop, six hens. There is still room on the roost, but she is always on the floor when I close them up at night. One night there were 2 hens, but only one night. Is this normal behavior?

 

[NotAFarm]

ginger girl!

Ruling out that she is injured and can't get to the roost.......

My thinking on this would be that you have a dominate hen(s) that are keeping the hen lowest on the pecking order off the roost.
You say your coop is 4x4 so I am assuming that is the length of your roost, even if the roost is diagonal, that is not enough space for the "bottom" hen to roost without being reached by the others. She may just submit and go to the floor to get some peace. If you are able, try watching them when they go to roost at night and you may be surprised how they act toward one another. The solution would be to add another roost....if you can fit one in the small coop.

 

[HCFarms96]

I have a chicken who always sleeps on the feeder instead of the roost. I'm thinking it's a pecking order situation.
And

 

[plc]

I noticed this week that all four of my girls are not on the roosts at night. 2 in nest boxes, the other two on the floor..??

 

[instar8]

I would second that she's on the bottom and they won't let her up....tho when it really gets cold, they'll all be snuggling regardless of status!!

 

[Marcymom3]

One of my pullets was roosting on the window ledge of the coop away from the other seven girls. When it started getting cooler at night I would wait till they were asleep and move her to the roosts with the others. Now she gets up there by herself.

 

[tsmith1499]

I have 5 Silkies and 2 younger Cochin Bantams and NONE of them sleep on the roost!! I made them a nice roost and ramp to get to the top and only 2 will use the lower roost and that is usualy in the DAYTIME!! Silly chickens. It could also be the fact that it's been in the high 20's low 30's in the coop at night. Thay all huddle in a corner. As long as they're healthy and happy I don't care where they sleep. None are old enough yet to lay, so I haven't put in nest boxes yet. That's my limited 3 month experience.

 

[2overeasy000]

Quote:
This is pretty close to how I handled it as well.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree...

 

[rancher hicks]

I have two SLW's in the coop and they learned to roost before I got them. Now the 10 BR's of mine never roosted til built them a coop. Until then they were in a pen with no roost. Many nights I put them up on the roost but I still find them huddled on the floor the nest night. Some have taken to the roost but others are having a hard time. I suspect they are prejudiced against the SLW's. Birds of a feather DO flock together, I've come to learn.