What's Wrong with our Coop????

[gallinaplaygrnd]

Hello all! What a wonderful resource this page and community has been helping troubleshoot urban chicken issues over the years.
Anyhow, I'm stumped with my current issue and reaching out for help regarding a used chicken coop we were gifted second hand from a neighbor.
So the situation is we currently have two coops in our yard. One coop belonged to the older flock of five chickens. In the newer coop we raised 6 pullets when they were old enough to go outside.
Now that the younger chickens are putting themselves to bed nearly all of them crowd into the first coop leaving one lone chicken to roost in the newer coop.
My question is: what is it about the newer coops design that the chickens dislik enough to abandon it for the older and crowded coop? Any ideas or suggestions for changes that would increase the likelihood of chickens using it.
I've included a few shots of the inside of the newer coop.
We just recently added the nesting box however they are all laying in the older coop which only has two nesting boxes.

 

[CSolis]

I would think a wider piece of wood, like a 2 x 4 laid on it's side would be more comfy for them to roost on.

 

[cottontail farm]

I've had groups of younger birds do this... all pile into one coop with the older birds until it looks like a clown car when there is a perfectly good empty space available.
I think it's just a flock behavior "safety in numbers" kind of thing. They see the older birds in there and go by example.
Locking then in the new coop you want then to use for a few days may make them consider it "home".

 

[rosemarythyme]

Flock mentality means they'd all rather sleep together, which is a possible issue with having multiple coops. Actually not a bad thing that the young birds get alone well enough with the older birds to want to be with them.

 

[aart]

They are creatures of habit...why they are in the old coop.
Close off the old coop to force them to use the new one.
Might have to place them in there after dark for a few nights.
Often best to confine birds to a new coop for a few days,
but that one looks rather small to do that.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

Ditto all the above answers and maybe your old coop has a nicer or higher roost that appeals to them more. But I'm thinking monkey see, monkey do.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Pics of the older coop please.

I see the new coop has a metal roof.....does your older one?

Maybe it gets hot in there.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I agree with above. I think they just see the others going into one coop so they all follow.

 

[gallinaplaygrnd]

Thanks everyone, for your responses! Here are pictures of the inside of the older coop. First pic is of the entry, second pic shows the nesting boxes to the left of the entry. The roosting branch is just above. The old coop has a metal roof as well. It also has a higher roost and (what I would consider) a nicer surface to roost on. So looks like a combo of better roosting and flock mentality. Good to know it's just chickens being chickens.

When I have time I'm going to reconfigure the newer coop and make another go. It would be nice to get a few more chickens back in the new coop in case they have to stay cooped up for any reason.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thanks everyone, for your responses! ☺ Here are pictures of the inside of the older coop. First pic is of the entry, second pic shows the nesting boxes to the left of the entry. The roosting branch is just above. The old coop has a metal roof as well. It also has a higher roost and (what I would consider) a nicer surface to roost on. So looks like a combo of better roosting and flock mentality. Good to know it's just chickens being chickens.

When I have time I'm going to reconfigure the newer coop and make another go. It would be nice to get a few more chickens back in the new coop in case they have to stay cooped up for any reason.

If I am seeing correctly the old coop has wood under the metal roof. That would make that coop cooler temps to sleep in.