Chickens not using coop to roost at night.

[Granitestater]

Wouldn't stop them from entering the cooop, but could they need/want a ramp to the lower roost? I have a poop board with roost on top. The poop board edge is 24" from the ground. My buff orp will not jump/hop that high. She uses the ramp to access the poop board. A ramp also allows for them to walk down in the am, which is appreciated by the big bodies girls...they don't like to "thunk" down and then slide (due to the wood chips slipping/sliding under their feet.)

View attachment 3724324

Nice coop! Don't know your climate, but if gets below freezing in winter, suggest insulation with plastic sheeting over it? Sure helps keep out those relentless winter winds in nh!
I've got to make a lower roosting area for my gang as they're aging and 2 w bad eyesight who wait for me to take them down in am. Like your setup!

 

[RojoMarz]

Nice coop! Don't know your climate, but if gets below freezing in winter, suggest insulation with plastic sheeting over it? Sure helps keep out those relentless winter winds in nh!
I've got to make a lower roosting area for my gang as they're aging and 2 w bad eyesight who wait for me to take them down in am. Like your setup!

Thanks. We definitely have winter and wind here. I'm in the Colorado Mountians (elevation almost 9k feet). One of our runs is wrapped year round in plastic and snow fencing (used to help stop the plastic from flapping.)

 

[MMelton67]

All still ok with moving the birds in at night. Added PDZ Stall Refresher to the bedding below the roosts after chatting with @RojoMarz There was a nearly immediate mitigation of the smell (which, ftr, wasn't bad but I wanted to get ahead of it.)

We got a solid 3, maybe as much as 4" of snow overnight and this morning. The chickens were funny when I opened the door to the run and just stood there looking out like "NOPE" and jumped back on the roosts. My wife had a thought and cleared some of the snow in the run down to the ground and they came out immediately. I guess they didn't understand why they couldn't see the ground?

Egg production has continued to surprise me for hens that are just 7 months old today and it being winter. We had a new max of 11 on the 14th and since then: 8,8,6,10 & 10. There are still a few that are on the small side but every day's average weight factors to be over 22 oz. if there were a dozen.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We got a solid 3, maybe as much as 4" of snow overnight and this morning. The chickens were funny when I opened the door to the run and just stood there looking out like "NOPE" and jumped back on the roosts. My wife had a thought and cleared some of the snow in the run down to the ground and they came out immediately.

Completely normal, many flocks hate snow and would rather huddle inside the entire day if given their choice. I shovel clearings and pathways around the run so they can do loops around the run and reach the water and the usual food drop off points.

 

[MMelton67]

Completely normal, many flocks hate snow and would rather huddle inside the entire day if given their choice. I shovel clearings and pathways around the run so they can do loops around the run and reach the water and the usual food drop off points.

I thought it odd since a week ago they were staying out in the rain.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought it odd since a week ago they were staying out in the rain.

Rain is different, it doesn't pile up white fluff (aka chicken lava) all over the ground.

That said, most of mine hate rain too, so I try to make sure there's plenty of spots they can shelter under as needed.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Both, probably. They get into habits that can be hard to break unless they want to, hence why I'm a little more persistent about getting them to roost compared to some folks.

Having extra artificial light while they're still getting used to the idea of going in at dusk will likely help at this point, to give them an obvious beacon as to where to go.

I totally agree with Rosemary I always use a "night light" on my new pullets. If I don't use light on a timer they will roost outside in run! . I also shut them in coop for a week or two as soon as I move them from brooder to coop, that way they implant the coop as " home in their brain. The problem is they can't see very well at dark and are scared to go into dark coop.