the truth about my coop... please go easy on me!!

[goldnchocolate]

My roosts are at knee level because I discovered that my hens were having a difficult time getting up to a higher one. It has worked wonderfully for 10 yrs, now.

 

[TinaK]

I am a VERY HAPPY CHICKEN MUM!

Roosting success tonight for the first night ever!

My babies have hopped onto the new roost themselves! In the spot I want them to sleep! I'm sOoOo happy!

Originally when I extended the coop last week I think I put the roosts up too high... after 4 nights I was still having to go out an lift them up...

so I lowered the roosts yesterday and placed the chickens up onto them up last night... however they still insisted in sleeping in the area that is in front of the nest box.....

Tonight after some free ranging they went to bed and for the FIRST TIME hopped onto the roosts in the area I wanted them to!!! They are still there 4 hrs on

Here is a pic of the coop following the extension

and here is a paint drawing I did of what the upstairs area looks like from above! The blue spot shows where they insisted on roosting over the last week... the red spot shows the new spot!

Im glad that I may have broken the habit! I wanted to make sure they knew how to keep a nest clean before they started to lay eggs!! they turn 13 weeks old on Tuesday.... still a few weeks to go yet!!!!