Why are all of my chickens on the floor?

new house, all the roosts are the same height, all 2X4 true ones..on the 4" flat and most of the birds prefer to spend the night underneath the roosts, and some unfortunate enough to get shat upon by those above.  We are planning on having poop boards, but haven't got that far yet in our house...
so..any suggestions?  i would say there are 1/3 above and 2/3 below..and there are lots of empty roost space
lots of older birds are below, buffs...and i wondered if roosts were too high..but they are 30" off the floor..at least close to that height anyways
honestly...have no idea

Our Buffs baffled me when we moved them into their new house in the fall...they wouldn't use the roosts either. Took a while but they all do now with the exception of the Rooster....he still likes the floor. I was concerned that the hens would always lay their eggs on the floor too but they all use the laying boxes now.

i just read in the latest chicken magazine to put the 2X4 on edge, not on the flat...?? What think you?
you know, i just have to get things right...i worry until things are calm and as they should be....things like this make me worry that i am not doing something i should..
thanks Echo

My buffs took ages to roost properly; they really seemed to prefer the floor. BUT the last time most of my birds wouldn't roost (buffs and other, lighter breeds), it was because there were mites living on the roosts that only come out and bite the birds at night. Check for mites.
Good luck.

In my experience, chickens take to roosting better if you build multiple roots at varied heights. I believe a lot of it has to do with the pecking order.

In regards to having the roosts flat, it is often a good idea as it means fewer toes are sticking out from under the bird on the coldest nights, thus reducing the chances of frostbite.

My Buffs never seemed to take much to the roosts either. Neither did the silver laced wyandottes for that matter. I know it's not my carpentry because the black ameraucanas recently started using them.

But then I did have one Buff that didn't use a roost but would get up on a brace in a fenced wall. Didn't look very comfortable balanced there all pressed up against the wire but that's where she went every night.

i didn't mean to say it was just buffs.. i have a miriad of birds...yup..and they are all on the floor. Mites are on my to do list today..want to see how the sulphur is doing..
crap...really hope it is not mites...ghads
-12 here this am...and it appears as though winter is back

I would take a guess and say it's probably the new diggs. Chickens don't really like change, (kinda like me, lol) though they are extremely adaptable. Try putting them on the roosts after dark and they'll wake up there and realize it's a safe place to sleep. You might have to do this a few times, but they'll get the hang of it eventually. Good luck!   

I have some dummies I had to put on the roost every night for weeks. They just caught on this past weekend and now they put themselves up there.

Yes, Authentic has to tenderly tuck her chickens in every night. Do you give them hot water bottles too, Authentic?

Yes. They also have tiny satin sleep masks and whimsical wool socks that I slip on before nighty nights. And then I sing them the full version of American Pie before they slip off to dream land.

*snort*

Our roosts are graduated, like a ladder. They all hop on the lowest roost and then pop their way to which 'level' they have achieved in the world. Some of my more 'mature' hens could NOT make a 30 inch leap/flap straight up. Not going to happen. My chickens will never make it to the Olympics.

I think even one rung, maybe 15 inches off the floor and 12 or 14 inches away from the other roost, might help.

I also would have them sitting on the 2 inch part of a 2x4, not the 4 inch edge. Shave the sharp edges off with a plane or draw knife.

Thanks Uno..i have husband home this weekend and i will nab him for chicken house projects. Will add a lower rung to see if that helps...
i will get some wool, and start on the booties i guess....sheesh! i never knew chickens demanded so much!

Geeze, Bigrock, I see so many things I forget what I have seen.  Thinking about the roosts in your house, just can't remember.  Are they all one level?  Seems to me that I remember something about that.  Chickens like to roost high, they really do (well my inexpert opinion).  Perhaps having one of the roosts a little higher so they can jump up to one, and then jump up to the higher one.  My roosts are all three level.  The bottom one has never been used for roosting.  They like to jump, jump and then jump again.  They all try tosquish on the top roost, really tight and how they all fit there, I really don't know, some will roost on the second roost, cause it is a tight fit, but they do try to be on the top rung.  They like highness, smiling.  Getting to the aspect of 2 X 4 and which to lay.  Think of the natural position of chicken feet.  Flat.  Flat.  Flat.  The only time the toes are crooked is when they are on something that they have to crook their toes to crook around.  For the most part, flat.  When they roost on a 2 X 4 with the wide side down, that is the NATURAL position of the chicken feet.  Flat.  Do not change the way the boards are.  The 4 " area in which the chickens can roost is good.  Those bodies then lay on the flattened toes, just like in the natural way and the bodies 100% cover the toes.  If the toes are crooked, as in a 2" board, not sure how well those toes are covered, and the toes crooked are not natural. But you do as you choose, I am only suggesting how chickens feet are, naturally FLATtened out.  Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.

Since space is at a premium here I built a raised coop in the run for roosting and nest boxes only up off the ground, accessible by ladders or fly/jumping, the latter being the preferred method.  Then, with the addition of 5 new chicks, figured I should box in a space on the ground with roosts so there would not be crowding problems.  Guess where the majority of the older chickens roost    On the lowest roosting house.  It is always packed, and sometimes one of the two upper roosting areas is empty at night.  And of course, I have the die-hards, who think that -30 is balmy enough to sleep on the outside roosts!  In my chantecler pen the older chickens all balance on the tippy plastic bins that are supposed to be nest boxes, or on the sloped room over the nest boxes that my husband thought was too sloped for them to do that.  Only the six new chicks use the roosts.  Maybe I need to leave a book like "Chickens for Dummies" out there for them to read so they know what they are supposed to do 

Chicken team you really need to provide pictures so we can see what we are looking at....see Cynthias post for directions..

thanks...Will look at the situation today, and think about solutions... we really wanted poop boards..ease of cleaning....and do not want the system bc boy posted...just something clean and easy... perhaps we could still use the poop boards..just with a little finesse....

No mites/lice. I grabbed a good 1/2 doz birds, and their skin is so clean everywhere!....now that is a great thing.

Have one bird though who has a big patch on each side of her breast that has no feathers..no inkling of any feathers either...

So, cold have trapped everyone in today -18 yikes

authenticfarm wrote:Yes. They also have tiny satin sleep masks and whimsical wool socks that I slip on before nighty nights. And then I sing them the full version of American Pie before they slip off to dream land.

*snort*

what about one of these too?  for the Lord of the Rings wizard-chicken in your life   

Magdelan wrote:

authenticfarm wrote:Yes. They also have tiny satin sleep masks and whimsical wool socks that I slip on before nighty nights. And then I sing them the full version of American Pie before they slip off to dream land.

*snort*

what about one of these too?  for the Lord of the Rings wizard-chicken in your life   

BAHAHAHAHAhaha!!! Magdelan did I ever tell you you are the best???? She does have those!!! Her Roos wear them every night. She ties each one of them on tenderly as she's singing them to sleep. BAHAHAHA!!! (Oh I'm sure to be in trouble now!) Dat I Get!

I am knitting them tiny scarves right now. Can't type.

bigrock wrote:Chicken team you really need to provide pictures so we can see what we are looking at....see Cynthias post for directions..

thanks...Will look at the situation today, and think about solutions... we really wanted poop boards..ease of cleaning....and do not want the system bc boy posted...just something clean and easy... perhaps we could still use the poop boards..just with a little finesse....

So, cold have trapped everyone in today -18  yikes

What was the height of your roost off the floor again?

Have you tried putting a couple 5 gallon buckets on the floor for them to hop up on and up to the roost?


You could make a ramp out of a 1x6 or 1x8 that is 8 feet long and put it from one end of the roost to the other?



So are you going to make a poop hammock?

I like the hammock because all the poop is gathered in the center of the tarp and is easily scooped up!! 



Or a poop board?


You could just fasten the tarp with hooks threw the eyelets in the tarp.

Country Thyme Farm wrote:In my experience, chickens take to roosting better if you build multiple roots at varied heights. I believe a lot of it has to do with the pecking order.

So all the lower pecking order birds are on floor and the "higher" pecking order birds are on the same level roost? There are only 2 levels of pecking order in this coop, basement and first floor?

Karaandblue wrote:

Magdelan wrote:

authenticfarm wrote:Yes. They also have tiny satin sleep masks and whimsical wool socks that I slip on before nighty nights. And then I sing them the full version of American Pie before they slip off to dream land.

*snort*

what about one of these too?  for the Lord of the Rings wizard-chicken in your life   

BAHAHAHAHAhaha!!! Magdelan did I ever tell you you are the best???? She does have those!!! Her Roos wear them every night. She ties each one of them on tenderly as she's singing them to sleep. BAHAHAHA!!! (Oh I'm sure to be in trouble now!) Dat I Get!

Gracias Kara :-).  I so love the sense of humor that happens on this forum.  Authentic sure makes me grin on a regular basis.  The bad ass snorting Willow Wattledons!  

For my roosts I have two different set ups.  The bantams coop is so tiny and in order to conserve space their roosts are above the nesting boxes with a poop tray, when I walk in there they are above my head which sounds very high (I'm a gigantic 5 ft 4 inches) and somewhere I read bantams don't fly so I made sure they have a ladder/ramp thingie to get up there.  They sure decided to go up there when the first cold nights came because that is the warm place, best draft free spot with the heat lamp directed right there.  I find the poop tray more inconvenient than just letting the poop drop into the deep litter.  But, it does give concentrated poop in a stash for garden stuff and without it I would not have noticed the puke-inducing round worms and perhaps they would still be dealing with them.  Nothing like coming face to face with those blessed wormy things.  guh.  

The other coops have similar to what you have Bigrock.  And a ladder to get up if they wish.  Coopslave said she has hers close-ish to the floor (was it 2 feet?) because the P. Chants are a heavier chook and she didn't want to have hassle with feet issues.  When she said that I made sure to have the ladder there.  However, it was her P. Chants that were the rebels that took inspiration and flew over the stucco wire fence and try and roost in the spindly saskatoon berry bush in their run   .   I love the P. Chants.  I have the 2x4's with the broadest side for them to rest on and have observed them to snuggle themselves down for the night, making sure their feet were covered by their feathers.  I like that.  There are two roosts in the layer coop, one is approx 6 " higher than the other, about 30" from the ground but the deep litter is growing higher so that is cool.  I wonder if it matters if they sleep on the floor?   Before I had the roosts properly set up and the roof insulation put up I had some of them (dk cornish and barred rocks) would somehow roost on the way high rafters that are at an oblique angle.  It did not look right to me but then I realised I was thinking like a human and not a chicken  -  again.  

BC boy, always so thoughtful..thanks for all the ideas. nice digs you have. What is the fabric for the poop hammock?
Magdelan...oh, i tried and tried to find chickens with slippers on...to no avail....however i did find some great felt slipper patterns...now must learn how to felt

bigrock wrote:BC boy, always so thoughtful..thanks for all the ideas.  nice digs you have.  What is the fabric for the poop hammock?
Magdelan...oh, i tried and tried to find chickens with slippers on...to no avail....however i did find some great felt slipper patterns...now must learn how to felt

All those pictures are from a google search except the youtube video which is my coop.
The hammock in my coop is a black tarp from Surplus Herby's. It is a heavy duty one.