Is there a certain way chickens like to roost that doesn’t match my coop?

[demonic]

I built a coop into one of my backyard sheds for my 5 hens a few weeks to a month ago, and obviously they would have trouble adjusting. they would fall off the roosting bars and basically slept everywhere but the roosting bars. However, nowadays I realize they do know how to get on it, but don’t sleep on it. I see them sometimes on the bars when running away from hens that are pecking them, but they never settle down and sit or sleep on them and they are barely on them in general. Is there a certain way that chickens like their roost bar that my coop doesn’t match? Here are pictures. Are the nesting boxes too low? They sleep on top of the nesting boxes, in the shelves up above the roosting bar (we store stuff like DE, grit, bug spray and more in there) and sometimes even in the nesting box or the stairs leading up to the nesting box. I made the roosting bars wide so they can make their feet flat when they sleep because I thought that was better for them.

 

[demonic]

Also the chickens have more space then this, i just took the picture closer so people can observe the environment

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Some chickens just don't use the roosting bars. My hens used to sleep on the roosts then suddenly began to always sleep in the nesting boxes.

 

[DobieLover]

I built a coop into one of my backyard sheds for my 5 hens a few weeks to a month ago, and obviously they would have trouble adjusting. they would fall off the roosting bars and basically slept everywhere but the roosting bars. However, nowadays I realize they do know how to get on it, but don’t sleep on it. I see them sometimes on the bars when running away from hens that are pecking them, but they never settle down and sit or sleep on them and they are barely on them in general. Is there a certain way that chickens like their roost bar that my coop doesn’t match? Here are pictures. Are the nesting boxes too low? They sleep on top of the nesting boxes, in the shelves up above the roosting bar (we store stuff like DE, grit, bug spray and more in there) and sometimes even in the nesting box or the stairs leading up to the nesting box. I made the roosting bars wide so they can make their feet flat when they sleep because I thought that was better for them.

Most of them are too close to the wall and the next roost up. They need room to maneuver.
You need to have 12" of space in front of and behind the roost.
Are all the birds not using them? How old are they?

 

[demonic]

Most of them are too close to the wall and the next roost up. They need room to maneuver.
You need to have 12" of space in front of and behind the roost.
Are all the birds not using them? How old are they?

3 of them are 10 months old and 2 of them are a little over 1 year old. When I used coops I bought from amazon they slept in those small roosting bars but not these ones. My little 10 month olds seem to use them more then the bigger ones, but they don’t sleep on it. They stand on them throughout the day and jump from bar to bar but when it’s time to sleep they go on top of the nesting boxes or in the shelves

 

[black_cat]

They'll find the thing that's highest, so your roosts need to be higher than the boxes.

 

[demonic]

They'll find the thing that's highest, so your roosts need to be higher than the boxes

The chickens who are higher in the pecking order sleep higher than the ones lower in the pecking order. My 2 hens that are 1 year old sleep together in that one shelf that isn’t occupied above the roosting bars, and the 3 smaller ones usually just sleep on top of the nesting boxes. Why don’t those small ones sleep on the roosting bars though if the highest thing in the room is already occupied?

 

[black_cat]

The chickens who are higher in the pecking order sleep higher than the ones lower in the pecking order. My 2 hens that are 1 year old sleep together in that one shelf that isn’t occupied above the roosting bars, and the 3 smaller ones usually just sleep on top of the nesting boxes. Why don’t those small ones sleep on the roosting bars though if the highest thing in the room is already occupied?

Which are higher, the boxes or the roosts?

If you REALLY want them to roost on the bars, you can just pick them up and put them there every night until they get it

When mine got a new coop with real roosts, they needed that for a few nights lol
The first night they slept in a pile by the door and when I opened it they almost fell out because they're just so graceful

 

[demonic]

Which are higher, the boxes or the roosts?

If you REALLY want them to roost on the bars, you can just pick them up and put them there every night until they get it

When mine got a new coop with real roosts, they needed that for a few nights lol
The first night they slept in a pile by the door and when I opened it they almost fell out because they're just so graceful

In the picture It shows that some roosting bars are lower than the nesting boxes but some are also above the roosting bars. they don’t need to sleep on the bars I was just curious to why they don’t sleep there. whenever we move them to the bar they just come right off. Dont want to block the nesting boxes though as I don’t wake up early enough to open it in the morning before my hens lay their eggs

 

[Cryss]

They will always roost at he highest point so make the roost highest. Put doors or gates on any shelves that are higher.

How old are the ones that don’t use the roosts? Very young pullets will sleep on the floor. As they mature a few weeks more they start noticing the roost is more desirable. They’ll roost eventually.