Will Chickens Seek Warmer Shelter?

[The_Cat]

Hello,

Our chickens are coming up on their 2nd Winter, and with the warm weather they have experienced the last few months, they have been sleeping in their covered run. I have a roost in their run and in their coop. The run is covered and secure, but only one wall is tarped to break the wind. There is no draft protection. My concern is, when it gets cold again, will they know to go back in the coop where they will be able to stay warm easier? Or do I need to train them to sleep in the coop?

Thanks,


Cat.

 

[elaineinspain]

watch them and see! Different birds do different things...

 

[centrarchid]

My experience has been the chickens do not shift roosting site in response to cold until temperatures drop below 20 F and some do not move until temperatures drop to approach 0 F. Usually a lot of wind promotes shift.

 

[aart]

Hello,

Our chickens are coming up on their 2nd Winter, and with the warm weather they have experienced the last few months, they have been sleeping in their covered run. I have a roost in their run and in their coop. The run is covered and secure, but only one wall is tarped to break the wind. There is no draft protection. My concern is, when it gets cold again, will they know to go back in the coop where they will be able to stay warm easier? Or do I need to train them to sleep in the coop?

Thanks,


Cat.

If they don't go in, you could take the run roost down or lower so it is lower than the coop roost, that might shift them. Provided there is enough space and ventilation in coop for comfort. What is your climate/location?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, where are you or at least what are your extreme cold temperatures can you expect to see. Normal everyday temps aren't important, the extremes are where you can get in trouble. What's cold to you may be comfortable to a chicken.

No one can tell you for sure what any living animal will do as far as behaviors go. We all have different conditions, each chicken is unique with its own personality, and each flock has its own dynamics. They might move back inside if it gets uncomfortable on that roost in the run, they might not. I don't know how much light you have down there. Often there are security lights or street lights that provide some light. Chickens don't see well in the dark but mine move around inside the coop pretty well after dark and there is not much light in there, it's really dark. It's very possible yours will move somewhere out of the wind if the need to. That might be somewhere in the run and not in your coop.

Since you are thinking about it, you might feel better if you take down that roost in the run and retrain them to sleep in the coop for the winter. You can put that run perch back up next spring if you wish. I don't know if you need to or not for your chickens' sake but there is value in making you feel better. Retrain them and you don't have to worry about it.

 

[The_Cat]

If they don't go in, you could take the run roost down or lower so it is lower than the coop roost, that might shift them. Provided there is enough space and ventilation in coop for comfort. What is your climate/location?

I live in Michigan, so the winters get pretty dang cold. I guess my main concern is if they are going to move someplace warmer before they freeze to death. It's not like they don't know about the coop. they go in there to lay their eggs every day. And there is plenty of room for them in there.

I like the idea of lowering or removing the roost from the run.

 

[aart]

I live in Michigan, so the winters get pretty dang cold. I guess my main concern is if they are going to move someplace warmer before they freeze to death. It's not like they don't know about the coop. they go in there to lay their eggs every day. And there is plenty of room for them in there.

I like the idea of lowering or removing the roost from the run.

I'm in SW Michigan....can you see it on under my avatar?
C'mon over to the Michigan chat thread...
....post some pics of your coop and get some advice from other Michigianians.

 

[rjrinehart]

I’m in the same boat as you. Sounds like around the same set up for our coop and run. Our girls literally never go in the coop and their roost in the run is a foot or so taller than in the coop. But the coop is going to be so much warmer with the pine chips we have in there.

 

[twin sister]

Our coop sits inside our unheated greenhouse so wind is not a problem. But we have a similar situation in that there is a roost (flat area) high in the run. We call it "the loft". Our three chickens would sleep up there because it's cooler on warm summer nights and because it was higher up. As the nights have gotten cooler, I stuffed a large pillow up in the loft so the chickens couldn't get up there. They easily returned to the coop which has plenty of straw and warmth. They seem content there. Next summer, I'll remove the pillow and they can roost in the loft again.

 

[The_Cat]

I'm in SW Michigan....can you see it on under my avatar?
C'mon over to the Michigan chat thread...
....post some pics of your coop and get some advice from other Michigianians.

Thanks! I will be sure to check it out!