My chickens are roosting outside...

[Scottingitup]

It got down into the mid to low teens last night. Woke up and the chickens were out and about like nothing was even different. I am going to leave them be as it does not seem to harm them - they are protected inside the run. I came down with strep which makes me even more hesitant to move them around in the cold.

It also makes cleaning much easier for me! also...

Crapbag (the soon to be roo) gets really aggravated when I move him and pecks the *&%$* out of me.


The flock actually enjoyed the thinning of the herd - I had a straight run from a hatchery and WAY too many boys. They didn't change sleeping positions until the girls started laying. I am thinking maybe the girls nesting got mean at the others in the morning?

Right now they range inside a much larger area I have fenced in with the deer netting stuff. Before Spring hits I plan on building 2 more pens and splitting my flocks. Going to stick with RIR and BR for my layers. White rocks for the meaties and in spring I am getting some turkey's! It shall be a nice full house

 

[ck8run]

Scottingitup, I have the same exact coop. And the same problem. I'm relieved that it's not just my dingleberries that won't go inside.

At first my ladies would roost inside the enclosed henhouse, but once summer came on they started roosting outside on the roosts in the enclosed coop. (Everyone, this style of coop has an enclosed outdoor area that is like a steel fortress.) I do believe this happened a little before they started laying. Since it was summer, and its perfectly safe where they were, I let them do it, thinking they'd have the common sense to go indoors when it got cold. But no.

They still roost on their outdoor perch, in freezing temps and sideways rain. I tried putting them in every night, but they won't go in on their own. I tried taking their tallest outside perch away, and then the next tallest, and I am convinced they would roost on the ground instead of going upstairs. There is a perfectly nice roost in the henhouse with lots of room for everyone. I put a light in there so that they would lay regularly in the winter and have tried putting it in the henhouse, then moved it into the coop, it just doesn't seem to matter. Now I've resigned myself to putting them in there on nights when it's really cold. And I put up some canvas to help block the rain. They are hearty, strong-willed girls!

If you make any progress, let me know!
kate

 

[ck8run]

Update:
I removed all my outdoor roosts, and improved the roost inside their henhouse. They were pretty vocal about the change, but they do go up into the henhouse at night all by themselves now. I feel bad that they don't have a place to roost outside during the day, but I'd rather them be inclined to be warm at night!

 

[i rescue chickens]

well,i think they like to roost in different places, i have an Old English Game hen and she was roosting high up in the tree ,she was scared of the storm one day,now shes first in the coop at bed time ,makeing sure that shes inside

 

[champer]

Yesterday when I let the hens out for the day, one of my OEGs was already outside, hmmm. That evening closing the coop I noticed 2 OEGs were AWOL. I checked trees and shrubs but couldn't locate them, so locked up the coop for the night. This morning they were waiting for the morning feed; hope this doesn't become a habit!!!!!

 

[PsychedChicken]

Hey Im in Florida too... I have one chicken that roosts on TOP of the coop every night. All of my birds free range and most are in a the coop by dark, except this one buff orpington and my guinea fowl. When I see them roosting on top I'll lock them in for a few weeks, and they'll start roosting in side for a few weeks then go right back to sleeping on top. Havent had any predator problems so I pretty much just let them. No harm no foul right?


Dont know why she thinks shes a guinea tho...

 

[centrarchid]

Chicken newbie here. I started up a mixed flock of both layers and "meat" birds. No cornish X just DP birds. Up until the last few weeks they would all sleep inside the coop/nesting area. I have since culled most of the meat birds and a few of the girls have started laying. Now they sleep outside on the larger roost branch with no wind protection!

I am in Florida and the lowest temperature we have gotten so far is 17. I am not noticing any problems yet - but it still seems weird. What gives?

Where they sleep now...

The place I would sleep if I were a chicken...

The coop is the garden ark plans from this very site.

Scottingitup,

I like your setup as it provides for roosting options, even the one they use now so long as predators are not an issue. Temperature / wind your birds experience are not likely to influence selection of roosting, especially during the winter months.

 

[chickgirl66]

My neighbor had a coop that is totally exposed. No henhouse. He just puts up boards especially on the north side. We live in Oklahoma and it typically averages 30s in winter but occasionally drops into twenties and teens. He's had them four years now, so I guess they are fine. If they were wild they would roost in a tree, so I'm supposing that if they stay outside when they could go in, they would be just fine.

 

[amyclary]

I live in Maine and it's COLD at night. I just finished building a coop for my four girls, inside their run, but they continue to perch outside. What to do?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It looks predator proof so I would relax. If I was in Florida I'd probably be sleeping outside too.
It gets below zero here. One of our meetup group members has a very nice coop and covered predator proof run with roosts in both. Her chickens use the coop for egg laying and feeding, otherwise they're outside. Last winter they never spent one night in the coop, opting to roost in the run with no protection from the weather other than the roof.
They didn't freeze.
No respiratory problems which I attribute to the fresh air.