roosting on the roof

[Quakadodledo]

I came out one night to check all were present and accounted for (I have a rescued battery hen who does not always choose safe places to sleep). To my surprise, I discovered my chooks asleep inside the extention on the house. I left them for the first night, when it happened the following night, I picked them up and put them to bed. The third night, they stood complaining outside the closed door to the extention, since then, they have refused to enter any of the three chook houses available to them in the yard and the rooster, a hen and the two ducks, are all sleeping in the open on the roof of one of the coops stubornly tolerating high winds and rain. They dont allow the battery hen to sleep with them, she hides under the swing seat, amongst the vines growing across a concrete slab.
What's up with that? are they ok sleeping out in the open like that?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I would go out every night to put them inside the coop. Putting a little flashlight on at dusk inside the coop may encourage them also.

I don't know about ducks though...they may be more difficult to train. I have never had them.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! You will loose birds to predators if they aren't in a safe coop every night. You could loose all of them the same night!!! Is there a problem with the coop? Too small? Critters in it already? Not enough roost space? Pictures would help here. Lock the chickens in their coop and run for a few days to a week or so, to encourage roosting indoors at night. Mary

 

[Percheron chick]

Make things easy and bait them to go in the coop at dusk with something they can't resist like bread or meal worms. It will take a few nights or you might have to do it every night but it's worth it to know they are safe.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I came out one night to check all were present and accounted for (I have a rescued battery hen who does not always choose safe places to sleep). To my surprise, I discovered my chooks asleep inside the extention on the house. I left them for the first night, when it happened the following night, I picked them up and put them to bed. The third night, they stood complaining outside the closed door to the extention, since then, they have refused to enter any of the three chook houses available to them in the yard and the rooster, a hen and the two ducks, are all sleeping in the open on the roof of one of the coops stubornly tolerating high winds and rain. They dont allow the battery hen to sleep with them, she hides under the swing seat, amongst the vines growing across a concrete slab.
What's up with that? are they ok sleeping out in the open like that?

Look for Red or Roost Mites. Or they just prefer "fresh" air.