Night time

[Juliera3]

My chickens aren’t automatically going up their ramp to sleep. Is there anything I can do to help guide them? First and second night we ended up physically putting them in therir nesting box.

 

[Rakaiachick]

How old are they. Perhaps they would like a roost

 

[Bear1978]

First off, if they’re old enough to jump/fly up a few feet then they shouldn’t be sleeping in their nesting boxes. They need an elevated roost that is higher than the nesting boxes or take the nesting boxes out until they’re old enough to start laying. The nesting boxes should only be used for laying eggs. Or they’ll end up pooping all in them as during the night when they sleep is when chickens poop the most. You can place a 2x4 or a thick rounded tree limb a couple feet off the ground (as long as it’s higher than the boxes) for them to roost and sleep on.

Secondly, here’s a great discussion about getting them to go into the coop and roost at night. Good luck.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-won’t-go-in-hen-house-at-night.1399842/

 

[rosemarythyme]

How old are these chickens? Have you ever shown them how to use the ramp? Did you lock them into the coop to home them to it?

Chickens don't do these things automatically, they often have to be shown.

And yes, nest boxes are for egg laying, not sleeping:

The nesting boxes should only be used for laying eggs. Or they’ll end up pooping all in them as during the night when they sleep is when chickens poop the most.