- Sep 2, 2010
- 73
- 0
- 39
I have 5 girls.
2 White Silkies
1 Gray Silky
2 Cochins
I have an automatic door to the coop that I had set to open at 6:30 AM and close at 5:30PM (It gets dark here around 4:30 now)
The 2 white silkies are by far the dumbest and they go out some time during the day and pretty much every single day get stuck outside until I get home at around 6:30-7PM. I find them huddled together next to the coop and only on 2 occasions have I actually found them inside.
They don't roost but rather sleep in their nesting boxes.
They have had their automatic door since day one and I know that they are capable of going in and out (it took a while). Is there a way to force them to go inside when it's dark? I am afraid they will turn into chicken popsicles given that the temperature around here has been dropping pretty fast (in the teens last night). When I find them I pick them up and put them in the coop manually through a window.
The birds also do not go out until mid-day. Should I set my automatic door to open at a later time? The door opens directly into the coop so when it is open it gets very cold in there. Cold enough that their water freezes.
If water will freeze in the coop is it too cold?
I'm debating on whether I should set the door to work from Noon-5:30 or even a smaller timeframe.
2 White Silkies
1 Gray Silky
2 Cochins
I have an automatic door to the coop that I had set to open at 6:30 AM and close at 5:30PM (It gets dark here around 4:30 now)
The 2 white silkies are by far the dumbest and they go out some time during the day and pretty much every single day get stuck outside until I get home at around 6:30-7PM. I find them huddled together next to the coop and only on 2 occasions have I actually found them inside.
They don't roost but rather sleep in their nesting boxes.
They have had their automatic door since day one and I know that they are capable of going in and out (it took a while). Is there a way to force them to go inside when it's dark? I am afraid they will turn into chicken popsicles given that the temperature around here has been dropping pretty fast (in the teens last night). When I find them I pick them up and put them in the coop manually through a window.
The birds also do not go out until mid-day. Should I set my automatic door to open at a later time? The door opens directly into the coop so when it is open it gets very cold in there. Cold enough that their water freezes.
If water will freeze in the coop is it too cold?
I'm debating on whether I should set the door to work from Noon-5:30 or even a smaller timeframe.