Rooster has quit using coop at night?!!

[CAjerseychick]

Hey all any thoughts on this-- we have Jersey Giants, and our young rooster (they all turned 1 in July) recently I noticed (maybe in the last week) has been sleeping at night on the ground next to the coop under a flap of tarp ( I have a piece of tarp on the exposed side/ roof of the coop -- coop is built up along the house)-- the temps are going down a bit and Fall is around the corner, I dont want him to try to winter at night up under this tarp. I dont understand why he is doing this-- he is super attentive to his hens (the 9 of them are barebacked from his attention, number 10 is brooding chicks)-- and when ever something (ie a playful puppy ) gets too close to them he comes running to defend them-- and the other chickens all go in and roost as usual in the coop-- its not crowded its a double coop built for 16 chickens and we have only 11 (plus 3 chicks)...
I thought maybe it because the pop door is too small so I went and enlarged it tonight and pushed him thru it, so he is in tonight only cause I picked him up and put him in....
As you guys might remember I work out of town 3 days at a time and am leaving tommorrow for work.... (we have 3 big dogs that are effective and nocturnal flock guardians, but still I wish he would get in that coop at night)....

 

[GimmeCake]

He may be standing of guard if it's warm enough outside. Provide a roost (a stick) for him outside and see if he sleeps on it. Also, how many roosters do you have with those hens? Just one rooster for 10 hens? Or more roosters?

 

[CAjerseychick]

He may be standing of guard if it's warm enough outside. Provide a roost (a stick) for him outside and see if he sleeps on it. Also, how many roosters do you have with those hens? Just one rooster for 10 hens? Or more roosters?

It is quite warm these days still close to 70 most of the night and he has been the Super Leader ever vigilant over his hens-- Its just the one Rooster and he is a bit of a pain (a big, defensive boy that tries to flog you if you stray too close to the hens)....but he is beautiful and I would hate see him go-- he has been keeping my giant schnauzer in line she has been chasing them a bit now that they free range so far out---
one thing though, the coop opens into a little backyard where we keep their feeders (they exit under the back fence thru the berry bushes)-- and i never see him back there anymore, could explain why he has been fighting the dogs for their dinner at night (the sweet Berner dog just lets him eat half his dinner, which is Ok since he is overweight )....

 

[GimmeCake]

Sounds like a problem that your dog is causing. Anyway, that's crazy one rooster made all those hens have bare backs. What has be been doing with his spare time haha.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Sounds like a problem that your dog is causing. Anyway, that's crazy one rooster made all those hens have bare backs. What has be been doing with his spare time haha.

I know, 10 to 1 is supposed to be the right ratio huh, but those poor girls need a break! I am going to wait him out and see if he goes back into the coop once the weather gets colder....

 

[CAjerseychick]

For future reference, for any who may have this issue in the future- this did resolve. My well meaning 10yr old on night 3 packed Roo with straw and left a big bowl of mash next to him under the tarp-- well I am guessing this drew undue attention to him and when I got home on night 4 (was away for work)-- Roo was back in the coop with his hens.
I do think that enlarging the pop door did help though as he had got very big.....