Not Sleeping on the Roost

[Dawnclucks22]

Hey BYC! I have a question about one of my birds who has not been sleeping on the roost lately. While I assume she knows where my other girls sleep, she insists on sleeping on top of our rabbit hutch. I put her in on the correct spot every single night hoping she would get the message, but it's been months now and she still won't go! It's especially worrying because if I have to go to shut them in later at night, she's more exposed than the others. Please help!

*Bonus fact - she's my avatar

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She could be your bottom hen. Do you have multiple roosts at the same height? Can she roost away from the others or does she have to choose to roost close, which obviously isn't what she wants to do.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

She could be your bottom hen. Do you have multiple roosts at the same height? Can she roost away from the others or does she have to choose to roost close, which obviously isn't what she wants to do.

She is the bottom hen. We have two roosts at the same height that are next to each other. That's a good point; I'll look into it

 

[aart]

How many birds?... ages and genders too.
How long are roosts and how big is coop in feet by feet?
Pics a bonus.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

I'll have to measure and get pictures later, but we have 5 birds altogether, all hens. The roosts are 2 by 4s and are pretty close to each other. Their coop serves only as their sleeping quarters and laying area so it's really small - it's a repurposed kids' playhouse, so if you can imagine one of those, that's how big it is.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

From my observations a bottom hens need to stay roughly 5 feet away from a dominant hen or else she will get pecked, so if your coop is smaller she's figured out a way to keep her distance, and respect the dominant hens.

 

[Kiki]

I'd bet your problem is the coop size.