Rooster Won't Roost In Coop At Night

[ChickenGirl555]

My bantam South Blue D'Anver rooster has been sleeping on top of the coop and not roosting at night since I got him this summer, and it wasn't a huge problem since the weather had been nice this summer, but now it's becoming winter and it snows and freezes at night. Last year one of my Polish roosters got horrible frostbite from roosting outside and lost all of his toes, so I had to cull him to put him out of his misery.

I think my D'Anver, Minty, is sleeping outside because the rest of the chickens bully him to not being allowed in the coop. How could I stop him or get him to go into the coop? I don't want him to get frostbite and end up like my Polish rooster...

 

[wamtazlady]

If the other chickens are bullying him and making him sleep outside, how can you expect him to brave the beaks and pecks of the others and go inside? I have had chickens that prefer to sleep in the run. However, I have my run set up for winter. There is clear vinyl covering 3 sides of the run with the open side away from the wind. The run also has a roof. Maybe you can add something on top of the coop that could block the wind and give him a protected place to sleep. I just can't see a way to force him to go into the coop if the other chickens have decided he doesn't belong there.

Since you have had this same problem before, I wonder if there is a problem with your coop. How many square feet is your coop and how many chickens do you have? In a coop that is just used for sleeping, 4 square feet per bird is recommended. If the birds are staying inside a lot due to winter you would need more than that per bird.

 

[Folly's place]

If your flock is overlarge for their coop and roost space, then make adjustments. I hope he survived last night!
Set up a different coop if necessary, for him and some friends, or rehome him, or at least move him inside the coop every night, if he's actually safe in there.
Having birds nearly freeze is on you, not him.
Mary

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Set up a different coop if necessary, for him and some friends, or rehome him, or at least move him inside the coop every night, if he's actually safe in there.

Mary

I do have a spare coop that is open to him, and I've put him in there a few times at night but he always ends up outside unless I'm there to force or help him into the coop. He used to go in the coop every night by himself, but now he goes straight for the top of the coop. I don't want to have to lock him in and let him out every morning in case I am unable to open it or forget in a busy morning.

 

[Vicki1957]

Chickengirl555 Place the rooster inside the coop every night and close the door. A coop is to be closed up every night to protect them from predators. Eventually from what I have learned the rooster will get use to the ritual going into the coop at night and beat you to it & head in on its own. To help you remember to open the coop set your iphone alarm early for every morning of the week to release him/them to the pen. I have food/water inside the coop along with outside the coop. If for some reason an emergency occurs for me the chickens have access to their needs.

 

[aart]

Since you have had this same problem before, I wonder if there is a problem with your coop. How many square feet is your coop and how many chickens do you have? In a coop that is just used for sleeping, 4 square feet per bird is recommended. If the birds are staying inside a lot due to winter you would need more than that per bird.

This^^^