Putting Roosts In The Run

[sammyh312]

Back when he had birds, my brother in law put a 2x4 roost in his run area, and his birds started roosting there at night and wouldn't go back in their coop. I thought about putting something in my run too, just to give em something to do, but i want em to go in at night to roost, and i dont want to start behavior i might have to try and correct later. Any thoughts or ideas on this?

 

[blefky]

Chickens are creatures of habit. If they already think of the roosts in the coop as their night time place, I doubt you'll have an issue. I have a monstrous tree limb in my run (came down in a storm) that makes a very cool looking and functional roost - they love it, but come night time they all head in.

 

[Wimberleytexaschick]

I have a small coop with attached run and I free range my birds all day. They have a roosting ladder in the run (to play on if I have to lock them in the run- heard its good exercise) and sometimes when they come into their run at dusk they perch on the run ladder for a bit, but always head into the coop every night. Everything is in the shade and coop has great air flow so it's not hot. I have heard of people saying their birds roost in the run and one reason could be that the coop is too hot for them.

 

[scooter147]

I agree with the creature of habit thing and definately the condition of the coop might be the reason they choose not to if they did before. I may not only be too hot but other things like high amonia or humidity levels might cause them to want to roost elsewhere, there smarter than we give them credit for at times.
I too have "day" roosts in my run and have never had a bird try to roost in the run at night instead of the coop.

 

[sammyh312]

Good deal, now what about the other way around. What if the only roost spot is in the run with none yet in the coop. Would taking the one in the run down and putting it in the coop (cool, nice, no amonia odor...etc) make em roost inside, or would they try to bed down in the run anyway? Im wondering cause i might have to let em roost outside for a week or so when my coop renovation starts.

 

[scooter147]

Quote:
It's possible they might try, although with nothing to roost on they might wonder in. You may have to run them in a night or two.

Several years ago I built a new coop on the other side of my yard and tore down the old one. I made the move before I had the run built and every night for three or four nights I would have to pluck chickens off the fencing or the roof of the old coop, the old shed had been pulled t the gound so they couldn't get in but the roof peak seem to suit them just fine. It was so ingrained in them that place was their roosting spot they just returned on auto pilot, didn't seem to matter the coop really didin't exist any more.