Should I paint the roosting bars?

[FunnyBunny89]

Hi all, I have a simple question with a simple problem:

My chickens have been going to bed just late enough that the coop is rather dark and the roosting bars are harder to see. I have a (light bulb) lantern in there so I've started holding it for them while they put themselves to bed. The sun is starting to go down sooner and lower, and I'm thinking when winter comes, it's going to be significantly darker in the coop.

I don't really WANT to stand there with a light for them each night... would it help them to see the bars better if I painted them a light color? Just wondering if anyone has any experience or wisdom around this.

Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Have you given them a chance to roost without the light to see how well they do? If it is too dark in there put in another window.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Let them figure it out without the light. Chickens are much more capable than people give them credit for.

 

[FunnyBunny89]

Yeah, that's how I discovered they were having trouble seeing the bottom bars.

Have you given them a chance to roost without the light to see how well they do? If it is too dark in there put in another window.

 

[FunnyBunny89]

Let them figure it out without the light. Chickens are much more capable than people give them credit for.

I only just started using the light because they are having trouble seeing the bottom bars. It's not all of them, just the stragglers who take too long to go to bed. I've seen them try and miss and then walk around like they can't figure out where they're going. It's just a couple of them, but I feel bad seeing them miss the bar. The bottom bar is only about a foot off the ground, the second bar is about two feet.

 

[FunnyBunny89]

Yeah, that's how I discovered they were having trouble seeing the bottom bars.

I also did add a window in the corner where the bars start. It helped a lot for overall light, but like I said, the sun is getting lower now and the ones who go to bed late are the ones having trouble. I can't really add anymore windows.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Paint the roost of you wish, I don't think it will hurt anything.

To me, this sounds more like pecking order/dominance issues than that they can't see. For whatever reasons they don't want to go up there until it is pretty dark. It should not hurt them to not sleep in the roosts until they figure it out.

 

[FunnyBunny89]

Paint the roost of you wish, I don't think it will hurt anything.

To me, this sounds more like pecking order/dominance issues than that they can't see. For whatever reasons they don't want to go up there until it is pretty dark. It should not hurt them to not sleep in the roosts until they figure it out.

I thought maybe the pecking order had something to do with it too but I can't do anything about that. Well, if it doesn't hurt to paint the bars, I'm willing to try it.