[tobytoby]

I have 15 week old welsummer & cream legbars who free range daily - but at night it is a lottery as to how many (usually 2-4) who are roosting on the roof of the house? I lift them down and put them away.They have loads of space
Any ideas as to why or if its worth trying to prevent it - the roof is 7 feet off the ground, and i have a lot of owls in the woods.
Thanks

[suziequeue]

Our Speckledys used to roost in the apple trees when we had them in the orchard. Every evening we used to pick them off the trees and put them in the coop but eventually we stopped bothering and they were perfectly fine all through winter.
 
It was only when we moved them up to the new pens where there weren't any trees within easy reach that they started spending the night in the coop.
 
I don't think the owls will bother them but a determined fox may scramble up onto the roof.... but wew had no problems with ours.

[Beewyched]

Hiya Grant 
Just a thought - have you checked the house for red mites?  That can put the chooks off going in - even with the lovely weather we're having across here      

[Mrs Snoodles]

Usually when chickens don't go into their house it is because of a mite infestation. Having said that welsummers and leg bars are the lighter more flightier breeds so they will have a tendency to perch high.  I had some friesian fowl who lived in the trees through winter. Drove me mad with worry, but they survived. Obviously they lost condition.

If you can't see any mite and are absolutely sure there arent any in there, then I would be tempted to put some posts up and give them restricted range and net above. Your chickens are young and perhaps need to learn where home is.   Alternatively, poss net across from tree to tree?  Hope this helps.

[Laurasfarm]

I agree with Mrs snoodles.  Of all the chickens we breed the cream legbars are the only ones with a double high fence, they are definitely a strong willed breed.  You could try some food in their coop at night.

[hughesy]

Some of my RIR spend a lot of time on the roof of their shed in an effort to get a break from an extremely randy cockerel.

[JMB]

Hi.
Our chickens roost in trees regularly instead of their house. They particularly like to do this is winter and have been out in the worst winter weather conditions! Come spring and summer they sleep in their house mostly but not always.
We don't have mites, I think chickens just like to roost in different places.
I'd leave them alone. We tried getting our out of the trees at first but it's alot of stress at at time of day when they want to relex
Hope this help
Joanne xxx

[tobytoby]

No mites - so i assume they are just young and flighty

[in the hills]

Mrs Snoodles - You had flighty Friesians too. We have several breeds and the Friesians are the only ones who attempt to roost out and also always lay out ..... usually about 5ft up in the hedge. 


Tobytoby - As others have said your hens are still very young and it maybe best to try and get them in a habit of sleeping indoors by limiting their free ranging just for a while. If your coop has a run attached, then maybe don't allow them out for 2-3 weeks. If not then maybe attach a temporary make shift run for a while or if the coop is big enough you could leave them indoors and put some wire over the door during the day for ventilation. The problem with hens sleeping out is that if they come down early in the morning they are more likely to be breakfast for Mr Fox.

[Mrs Snoodles]

In the hills...... What can you say about Friesians?  Beautiful birds, absolutely stunning  but the absolute worst behaved chickens I have ever owned.  I had to give my four prize hens away. They did so much damage and were so dreadfully unruly. True farmyard hens. Never ever to be trusted in a garden 

[in the hills]

    Mrs Snoodles - Know I shouldn't but I do like them. Have 6 hens and a cockerel. Only hens that venture on the lane, lay out, roost out if given the chance and have hatched eggs 5 ft up in the hedge. They fly and land on top of my head and sit on my shoulder while I peg out the washing. Luckily don't have many close neighbours ..... they have been found everywhere in my one neighbours cottage including his bedroom. They use the cat flap and love my daughter to carry them around. Think mine are tamer than they might have been because they were incubator raised and handled a lot as chicks. Boy can they fly and I'm sure they are more intelligent than my other hens.    Trouble but can't help having a soft spot for them. 

[goosepimple]

Hi tobytoby, ours have always roosted outside in the trees like big puddings up there and they do it with their wee ones, best place for them, better than a house.  Even in the most dreadful weather they prefer to be there - we 'defrost' them with rice crispies with warm milk or porridge etc which they devour.  They all live to a great old age, easy peasy, let them get on with it. 

[Mrs Snoodles]

  Mrs Snoodles - Know I shouldn't but I do like them. Have 6 hens and a cockerel. Only hens that venture on the lane, lay out, roost out if given the chance and have hatched eggs 5 ft up in the hedge. They fly and land on top of my head and sit on my shoulder while I peg out the washing. Luckily don't have many close neighbours ..... they have been found everywhere in my one neighbours cottage including his bedroom. They use the cat flap and love my daughter to carry them around. Think mine are tamer than they might have been because they were incubator raised and handled a lot as chicks. Boy can they fly and I'm sure they are more intelligent than my other hens.    Trouble but can't help having a soft spot for them. 

   That sounds so like the breed!
Mine ended up with my friend free ranging on 4 acres. Did the blighters stay there? Of course not.  They demolished her neighbours veg patch.

[tobytoby]

Thanks for all the replies.
They have now moved in with their older sisters and since Sunday none have chosen to stay outside or on the roof? Maybe they know winter is coming?
Even my young cockerel started crowing today - even although he sounds like a girl with a sore throat?

[Beewyched]

...
Even my young cockerel started crowing today - even although he sounds like a girl with a sore throat?