My newest girl - Agalena - is a bit older and bigger than the others. The first night she clucked a bit at dusk and then flew right into the coop with the other kids. Easiest integration ever - they all hang out together during the day and there isn't any squabbling - she accepted my 10 week old Silie cockerel as the boss right away - pretty funny really - she's a full grown (or almost) bantam mix and he's a peanut. She decided last night that she needed to roost on top of the coop. Now, this is a "wavy-stuff" metal roof - but she seems to want to be as high as she can get. The littlest of the others joined her - no problem. I watched, she's not getting kicked out and there's plenty of room...she just likes it up there I guess....so I did the only reasonable thing and gave her a branch! She settled on it immediately! The little munchkin went back in with the others of her own accord. My thinking is that if she's happy where she's roosting and it's a safe place - okey doke! Is there any reason I should try and "make" her go into the coop ?- ah, it's an open coop BTW. Am I correct in thinking that if the temps drop enough in Winter, she'll go on in to warm up with the other girls (and boy)? Thanks for any input.
I'd prefer to have my girls inside the coop proper. It should be easy enough to train her to roost inside. Just wait until it's dark enough she can't see to get back to the roof and move her inside to a spot on the roost. A few nights of this and she should get the idea that's where she should be.
I put her in on the highest perch. Nice surprise - she came from "someguys backyard" to the feed store and then to me. After just a few days in her new home with sand in the run - she is sooooooo soft now! I've reached out and patted her , but not held her since I brought her home 'till just now (3 days). Okay - I'll see how things are in the AM! Thanks!