sleeping on the poop boards?

[OneMountainAcres]

I'm at a loss here on how to correct this. I think I know why it keeps happening but I don't know how to correct it. Everyone is almost 14 weeks old now. Up until about a week or so ago, the nest boxes weren't built yet on the coop so there was a big hole in the side but it was covered with hardware cloth. From the first night they were in the coop, they choose the lip for the nest boxes (which was on) to roost on so it was like sleeping at an open window. Since the nest boxes are in now, they sleep up on the roosts. I had to physically put them up on them the first night the nest boxes were in but since then They've been doing it on their own. I have two roosts (20 ft of roost space total) one about 4 ft high the other about 3 ft high. All but one choose the lower roost to sleep on because. .... There's a window. So they all try to cram together on the first 3-4 ft of the roost that is nearest the window. There were 11 within 4 ft tonight! Since they're all trying to squeeze in that one spot, I've noticed a few that end up laying on the poop board right under the window. Usually, it's the same 3. I've been going in and moving them up to the roosts in other places. They stay there once I put them there but every night it's the same thing. Tonight there were 5 piled up on the poop board! I can't be climbing in there every night to put them on the roosts. Any suggestions? My poop boards are plywood with linoleum on them so no bedding goes on them.

 

[aart]

Some of my adult hens sleep on the poop boards, mine have sand and PDZ in them 8" and are below the 2x4 (wide side up) roosts. Some of my youngsters sleep on them too.

Not sure it's a problem.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Isn’t it interesting that they decide where they want to sleep even when it breaks the rules? They ae supposed to want to sleep on the highest point available, but obviously it doesn’t always work out that way. I think you are right that the window is playing a big part in where they want to sleep.

Can you put in another window higher up? Maybe just cut out a hole, frame it, and install a clear piece of Plexiglas or something like that? Or just cover it with hardwire cloth to keep predators out and add to your ventilation in the summer and cover it with Plexiglas in the winter?

How much does the poop build up where they are sleeping? As long as you scrape it regularly it is probably not a big deal with them sleeping down there.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I may just give up and let them go lol. We can't put another window in by the high roost. Our coop is half coop, half shed. The high roost side runs along the shed side. Plus, the way we built the thing, it's double walled with insulation in between and 2x4 every so many inches. It would be a royal pain lol. We didn't build the large for on the other side of the coop. Right now it's just boarded up. I'd say we could put a window there but then they'd probably sleep in the litter on the floor lol. I scrape the poop off the boards daily (usually) so it doesn't build up too bad. They also sleep with their butts toward the center of the coop and face the window so I don't think anyone would really get poopped on but still. I guess I'm just a bit OCD about shine things. Especially when we took months to build it just right for them lol.

 

[azygous]

It must be quite hot in 16668 these evenings for them to all need to cram themselves under the only available window.

Really. You seem to be ignoring the obvious. Perhaps you need to run a fan to cool the coop down and circulate the air better.

That said, I have three hens who insist on sleeping on the poop boards under the roosting perches. Each has a different problem she is attempting to solve, well, except for the Cochin, who is simply the laziest critter I've got.

One hen has serious social issues. She gets picked on pretty badly at roosting time so she hides on the poop board behind her BFF who roosts on a very low perch just six inches off the floor. This is also where the lazy Cochin is, only at the other far end.

Another hen has issues with hopping all the way up onto another, higher, perch. Often she is satisfied with just stopping short of the perch and hunkering down under it.

Most nights, when I see these hens on the poop boards I simply place them on the perches. Most often they remain where I put them. But it really isn't a major problem.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Here's our set up (before they were actually in it). Then the way they used to sleep on the empty nest box lip. I don't have a picture yet of the way they do it now though but you can see the window they all cram up by lol

 

[OneMountainAcres]

It must be quite hot in 16668 these evenings for them to all need to cram themselves under the only available window.

Really. You seem to be ignoring the obvious. Perhaps you need to run a fan to cool the coop down and circulate the air better.

That said, I have three hens who insist on sleeping on the poop boards under the roosting perches. Each has a different problem she is attempting to solve, well, except for the Cochin, who is simply the laziest critter I've got.

One hen has serious social issues. She gets picked on pretty badly at roosting time so she hides on the poop board behind her BFF who roosts on a very low perch just six inches off the floor. This is also where the lazy Cochin is, only at the other far end.

Another hen has issues with hopping all the way up onto another, higher, perch. Often she is satisfied with just stopping short of the perch and hunkering down under it.

Most nights, when I see these hens on the poop boards I simply place them on the perches. Most often they remain where I put them. But it really isn't a major problem.

It's a good thought but I don't think that's the issue. Here, we're at the top of the mountain and it's been much cooler (is only 60°at the moment). Is also usually windy. We have the eves open on both sides of the coop and covered just with hardware cloth. They do it weather the window is open or closed, it's hot out or cold lol. They just love the window! They have a great view from there out into the woods. I'm sure they like the breeze that comes through there too but like I said, it's not always open and they still do it. I have been climbing in there at night and moving the girls that are underneath and they stay where I put them. It never seems to hot in there to me and I never see anyone panting or anything. Just practicing their sardine simulation.

 

[azygous]

Then, as the saying goes, "it's not their problem, it's yours."

Like a cranky infant, if you see that their needs have been met and they still want to cry, then they may just want to cry. Sometimes we over-think things.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I just wanted to jump in and let everyone know that they are now all sleeping on the roosts now and not the pip boards. Half of them are even sleeping up on the high roost now so they're all spread out now I guess they realized I knew what I was talking about when I kept putting then up there lol.