Weird chickens or just being dumb?

[Tonyroo]

No, they are not laying yet. I’d imagine sometime soon since they are now 4 months old. I also considered the ambient light being a contributing factor since a little bit does shine in the run. The roost bars are higher than the boxes and between the two I have 14 feet of space. I’ll have to find something to block them off this weekend. I was hoping they’d just correct it themselves but again they are new birds and I don’t believe they had a coop before.

Your intuition is correct, birds raised without a coop would not understand till they are taught to use a coop to sleep.

You can use a bath towel or plastic sheeting if you still need to block the nest box. Just tack it on.

 

[Tonyroo]

I’ll have to try to manually put them on the roost as another person stated, they won’t let me touch them yet.

If you use a portable light in the coop when it starts to get dark. The chickens will be drawn to the light as it gets darker. And will be able to see the roost bar. Or grab them in the dark cause they can't see and place them on the roost.

 

[Kiki]

Can you post a picture of the inside of your coop and one of the run where they are choosing to sleep?

 

[Baker1181]

They walk into the coop about 730 at night the last few nights, thru the little door showed in first picture, along with my two 7 foot roosts that are higher. Then they sleep in the first two boxes closet to the door. The ones that don’t fit in the boxes sleep right next to them in front of door. Second picture has too few of boxes where they sleep. I will not the pellets don’t make a difference to them from what I can tell. They are all over in the run and they are constantly walking, laying and scratching at them. They obviously don’t mind sleeping on them in the coop either.

I was thinking about manually putting them on the roost after they go in and it’s dark out and I’ll lock the door behind them. I can crack the window that has chicken wire on it too make sure they don’t get too hot and maybe it’ll work

 

[Kiki]

They walk into the coop about 730 at night the last few nights, thru the little door showed in first picture, along with my two 7 foot roosts that are higher. Then they sleep in the first two boxes closet to the door. The ones that don’t fit in the boxes sleep right next to them in front of door. Second picture has too few of boxes where they sleep. I will not the pellets don’t make a difference to them from what I can tell. They are all over in the run and they are constantly walking, laying and scratching at them. They obviously don’t mind sleeping on them in the coop either.

I was thinking about manually putting them on the roost after they go in and it’s dark out and I’ll lock the door behind them. I can crack the window that has chicken wire on it too make sure they don’t get too hot and maybe it’ll work

You mentioning cracking a window might be part of the problem.
Is there ventilation in the coop?

 

[Baker1181]

My grammar in that is terrible in that, it was supposed to say that I wouldnt imagine the pellets would be a problem. And the first two boxes showing by the door is also where they sleep.
The coop door has been open 24/7 and it has two roof ventilation ports that are bird blocks like on a house. With that door open the wind would be blowing into the coop lightly has the wind come thru right there all night. Maybe I can try propping open my window.

 

[Baker1181]

There is a gap on each side of the lid of the nesting boxes to that would provide ventilation right above, where they’re sleeping

 

[Baker1181]

They all just got in the coop, not dark yet, sun just went down. One is on a roost bar the other 7 in first two boxes and right outside said two boxes.

 

[Kiki]

They all just got in the coop, not dark yet, sun just went down. One is on a roost bar the other 7 in first two boxes and right outside said two boxes.

Go move them up and see if they stay.

 

[Baker1181]

I was able to get 3 more up there, maybe if I had a door holder I could have got them all. The others all moved to the corner of the coop away from door. We will see about the few. I left the window shutter open too.