Sleeping outside in freezing weather

[KimbosKluckers]

I have found that if the roosting bar is higher in the run .the Chickens will know this and roost there. Their instinct sends them to the highest point they can get to. So try lowering the outside bar lower than the inside bar and/or raise the inside bar . after you do this wate till they have roosted for the night and move them to the higher bar

My coop bars are higher than the outside ones but only by a few inches. I may try removing the outdoor ones completely for a bit. I’m just worried they may find a tree instead.

 

[aart]

I’m worried if I completely remove them they may just find a tree or something instead of the coop. Hmm

I thought they were in a secure run?

 

[SoCal Chicken Mama]

Yep, the little roosting bars that come with prefab coops are for chicks. Once they are fully grown they need something bigger to hang on to. My gardener (who does odd jobs for me, like building the low roost) accidentally cut up the only roost I had for inside, but fortunately we found one of the pieces. My husband attached pieces of the little rod to the 2x2 new one (so it would fit on the original brackets made for the little one.), and now I can see they are much more comfortable with the bigger rod. I use 2x2 redwood or a birch limb that is at least 1 3/4" diameter. They like both.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

I thought they were in a secure run?

They are at night. I open their run to the big yard all day for them and close the run at dusk.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

Yep, the little roosting bars that come with prefab coops are for chicks. Once they are fully grown they need something bigger to hang on to. My gardener (who does odd jobs for me, like building the low roost) accidentally cut up the only roost I had for inside, but fortunately we found one of the pieces. My husband attached pieces of the little rod to the 2x2 new one (so it would fit on the original brackets made for the little one.), and now I can see they are much more comfortable with the bigger rod. I use 2x2 redwood or a birch limb that is at least 1 3/4" diameter. They like both.

I can’t believe I didn’t realize how small they were for their growing talons. I changed them to 1x5 boards but for some reason they’re still accustomed to the outdoor ones, I removed those today

 

[KimbosKluckers]

Here’s the new, wider roost bars. I’m going back and forth on keeping the black ramp bottom center. It can help them reach the top if others are on the other small bar on bottom left but may get in the way when flying down? All run roosts are gone. They hate me now.