Think I need a *real* coop

[jojo54]

thanks for the pics and chuckles.

Aren't chcikens the funniest!

Also welcome!

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Sorry, but

,

Try giving them some tasty treats inside the coop when you put them in at night.

After a while they should be in there waiting for you.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
X2

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Round is actually not the best thing for chickens to roost on. They're not perching birds but ground birds. I use a tree branch, but a wide one. Figure something that's a equal in width to your chicken's foot, or at least 3/4 of that width.

These chickens are picking the cable to roost on because of its height, not its shape. Most birds prefer a high place to roost, for safety.

 

[MareeZoCool]

How about trying to place a saw-horse in their coop, so they have a solid place to roost? IN THEIR COOP,of course.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Chickens are weird like that, it all depends on the little voices only they hear in their heads. One will get a notion that a certain place is the ideal spot for roosting, and all the rest of the boneheads will follow like a bad fashion trend.

You may not need a new coop, just persuasion to get them to begin roosting in your other one. Find a way to block their access to that cable, try to block it from their view. Go out at sundown & entice them with treats to go where you would rather them roost.

If you do decide on a new coop, then get whatever you can afford. If you can afford a pre-built one, go for it. Order a couple for me too!

Or you can buy/find free plans for building your own.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Some tin angled like a roof this will not allow them to roost on it and during the day when the sun is out it will also heat up the tin which in turn will be to hot on there feet.........or you could just go out right at roosting time and use a yard rake to scare them down off of there I use it to chase mine from yard when they were young and need to round them up back into the coop now all I have to do is pick it up to rake up the poo in the coop and they all head out the door so you may wanna try that or block the wall so they can't reach the cable at all.


Good luck to you I hope this helps

 

[Gypsi]

hahahhaha - I'll second whoever said, "I hope you solve your problem, but if not post more pics"

I have feral cats. A lot of feral cats in the neighborhood, the offspring of abandoned cats. And this morning an abandoned looking yellow labrador. I can't take in any more dogs, I will have to hope the pound can place him when I call.

Based upon this population, while my coop is not secure (front wall isn't on this one yet, and the old brooder I built had a hanging t-shirt for a door in cold weather) I took BYC advice and built a fairly secure run. Secure enough for feral cats anyway. The one gap I had was near my stepladder one night, and it cost me a pullet, probably to a cat. I closed the gap and moved the ladder.

I let my hens free range in the backyard when I am at home and I have the dogs indoors (just in case chicken-ball sounds like a fun new game).

When I'm leaving for work, at night, or need the dogs out, the chickens are in their run.

I finally got a new roost up in the chicken house, with half of its roof plywood and the other half pondliner, as it was roofed in the dark before the current rain. It's a 2x2. but it's a roost. So they all slept on the roosts in the old brooder, far too close to the edge of the run which presently is 1 inch chicken wire, so a raccoon could reach them through it. I will have to remove the top temporary roost from it tonight, and add another roost to the new coop.

Basically, I recommend a cat-proof and chicken proof run around the chicken coop... I gave up on hammering my thumbs. Hammer drill and sheet rock screws...

 

[Foleys]

That is preatty funny before we got our not very good coop as some may say on here out roo was on our roof all the time.

 

[MotherJean]

"....or you could just go out right at roosting time and use a yard rake"

I want to be there when you tell your poker buddies, "Deal me out this hand, I have to go out and rake my chickens."