Why are my chickens lying in a heap on the floor of their house?

[Alpal]

I am a besotted new chicken keeper with seven lovely, funny birds, but a bit worried that they don’t like their house!

I bought it second hand and it seems fine, only they don’t seem to have found the perches and fall asleep in a heap on the floor, and the nesting box.

The perches seem quite high to me - higher than the door, about a foot and a half high, in the eves of the house.

Should I make new perches a few inches off the floor instead? Or is it okay that they want to sleep in the floor, and I should just let them get on with it?

Advice very welcome!

PS They are quite young - POL, and I’m in Ireland so it’s getting cold at night. They could just be snuggling up to stay warm?

 

[camochick96]

I am a besotted new chicken keeper with seven lovely, funny birds, but a bit worried that they don’t like their house!

I bought it second hand and it seems fine, only they don’t seem to have found the perches and fall asleep in a heap on the floor, and the nesting box.

The perches seem quite high to me - higher than the door, about a foot and a half high, in the eves of the house.

Should I make new perches a few inches off the floor instead? Or is it okay that they want to sleep in the floor, and I should just let them get on with it?

Advice very welcome!

PS They are quite young - POL, and I’m in Ireland so it’s getting cold at night. They could just be snuggling up to stay warm?

When my pullets were young they preferred to sleep in a corner of their house in a pile on the ground. Eventually they started using their perches. You might try getting different kinds of perches for them to choose from and make sure some are at different heights.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Pictures would help, how big is the coop?

Gary

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

pix? Please?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of the setup would definitely help with troubleshooting, to make sure there's room for them to get up and down, etc. It's also possible the birds haven't ever used a roost before and need to be shown where it is and how to use it.

 

[Stephine]

One and a half feet is definitely not too high per se but the coop sounds like it is very small, if the roosts are that low and close to the ceiling... Could be that there just isn’t enough headroom for them to jump up or not enough room sideways to get up and down, or that they are too close too the wall to be comfortable. How old are your chickens?

 

[Alpal]

I’m thinking now my house is too small and they don’t have enough room to get up and down. I bought it second hand and was told it would fit 6-8 birds, but I think I may have been misled.

It is hard to get photos of the perches that will bring any clarity. It is 4ft x 4ft excluding the nesting box. The two perchesrun side to side above the door, but on reflection I think it would be difficult to get up to them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's very cute but very tight for 7 birds. Ideally you'd want something almost twice as large, and with more headroom (and ventilation, as I don't see any). If the roosts are just to either side of the door, then headroom is a problem both vertically and horizontally... there's no way for the chickens to jump up onto the roost without hitting their heads.

 

[Alpal]

My chickens are pullets, at Point of Lay asI understand. I have only had them a week. It is possible that they haven’t worked out the perches are there yet...

 

[Alpal]

It's very cute but very tight for 7 birds. Ideally you'd want something almost twice as large, and with more headroom (and ventilation, as I don't see any). If the roosts are just to either side of the door, then headroom is a problem both vertically and horizontally... there's no way for the chickens to jump up onto the roost without hitting their heads.

I’m thinking you are probably right. There is ventilation at the other side.