New roosting behavior. Suggestions welcome

[aart]

I would like to know more about the Wisdom of Donkeys

Donkeys will always assess the situation before they act

Maybe start a thread in the 'other pets and livestock' forum for this discussion?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Maybe start a thread in the 'other pets and livestock' forum for this discussion?

Oops.

 

[jreardon1918]

I took out the nest blocks 4 days ago. Two of the girls hare resumed laying. It looks like one of the girls went back to roosting on the edge facing out of the nest box. Perhaps I could fashion some privacy curtains to see if that might make the edge of the nest a less attractive spot to roost. Thoughts? Other suggestions? Here is a reminder picture of the roosting and a concept of what I might do.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I went back and looked at the pictures you posted in your OP. It looks like your roosts are in front of windows with hardware cloth (hwc). Is there anything keeping wind from blowing in those windows? Perhaps your birds don't want to roost there because of the draft. I had a similar problem in my coop, a big window the girls wouldn't roost in front of until I blocked off the lower half with a sheet of plywood. They don't mind the cold, but wet is a problem, as is wind that ruffles their feathers and disrupts their effectiveness as insulation.

 

[jreardon1918]

I went back and looked at the pictures you posted in your OP. It looks like your roosts are in front of windows with hardware cloth (hwc). Is there anything keeping wind from blowing in those windows? Perhaps your birds don't want to roost there because of the draft. I had a similar problem in my coop, a big window the girls wouldn't roost in front of until I blocked off the lower half with a sheet of plywood. They don't mind the cold, but wet is a problem, as is wind that ruffles their feathers and disrupts their effectiveness as insulation.

Thank you for giving this consideration. The roosts are just above the two windows. They are opposite from the windows. My run wrap "theory" has always been where I have the south and north sides wrapped. The south wrap covers 6' with 3' un-wrapped. The north side is wrapped the whole 9'. Both sides have a gap at the top of about 10". With the east side open. I am hoping that wind will be blocked from disturbing the girls. I am not sure this is a well thought out theory. Here is an additional picture. This features the east side.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So ...
Is the front of the coop completely open to the run?
I guess you could try the curtains and see what happens.

 

[linguini]

So ...
Is the front of the coop completely open to the run?
I guess you could try the curtains and see what happens.

curtains or shade cloth! easy to hang

 

[jreardon1918]

So ...
Is the front of the coop completely open to the run?
I guess you could try the curtains and see what happens.

One more picture. The windows have always been open. That gives some extra ventilation. The window on the left is adjacent to the nest box being used as an extra roost. I have never monitored breezes inside the coop. I think humidity has not been a problem as the the current humidity is only a couple % higher than that outside the coop and run. I prefer to not close the windows, but, I am the one that asked for suggestions.