Pullets roosting ontop of hen house not coop

[CKNNWBEE]

Hello,

My girls have a huge coop, and inside of that their former coop, and inside that, their nesting box.

They originally had only their hen house, but we gave them more room. They are safe inside the big coop, so we left the lock off their hen house. They started sleeping/roosting ontop of the hen house at night. They still go into their hen house to lay in the nesting box, and eat. Is it okay for them to sleep on a slightly sloaped roof? We feel they are safe up there from predators, but I am worried about them falling off. Also, this is okay now that it is warm, but will they go back in the winter? They also poop up there. We went out one night and they were blind as bats. Very sad actually.

My questions are: is this normal?

do they want a bigger hen house/roosting area?

will it mess with them to let them sleep up there?


Thank you.

 

[RedDrgn]

We have one hen that does this. She only does it during the summer time, so maybe it's cooler for her, but everyone else always goes in the coop and she will always go to the coop roof. So when we go out at night to make sure the run is locked up, we often toss her back in the coop before the door shuts for the night. In the winter, she's in with all of the rest. The coop is very well ventilated regardless, but this is the second year in a row she's done it, even though there is plenty of room in the coop.

Also, if a chicken can get to the roof, so can many, MANY different predators. I wouldn't consider the roof safe.

 

[CKNNWBEE]

Thank you for your reply. I am not the best at explaining, but they are very safe in or out of their 'hen house' or little coop. We built a large coop around the little one. So its inside. I was worried about them falling off the sloped roof or that it is letting do a 'bad habit'. I hope your fowl stays nice and safe during the summer. I'm surprised just one was outside, they are the oddest little creatures.

 

[RedDrgn]

Thank you for your reply. I am not the best at explaining, but they are very safe in or out of their 'hen house' or little coop. We built a large coop around the little one. So its inside. I was worried about them falling off the sloped roof or that it is letting do a 'bad habit'. I hope your fowl stays nice and safe during the summer. I'm surprised just one was outside, they are the oddest little creatures.

Oh, I see, well that's not so bad then. If they can get up onto the roof, I wouldn't worry about them falling off. They settle down and sit tight once darkness falls and even the few nights our girl ended up spending the evening on the roof (because we were out for the evening or got back very late), she was fine.

Our coop is in a secure run, so she's pretty safe even when she decides to be queen of the castle. Soon, she won't be able to pull this stunt, though, because we're adding a second story to the coop and it'll then be too tall for her.

 

[CKNNWBEE]

hahaha The imagery of her being Queen of the Castle! I have went out and they point their tail feathers together and face outwards. One is always standing up. Do you think its security? Its endearing all their behaviors.

 

[RedDrgn]

Probably, yes. Even when everyone is in the coop and we go out to check and lock the run up tight, a few of them will get up and gawk out of the windows. They just want to see what happens to be lumbering into their territory before it gets too dark for them to see anything.