My new chicks, all 12 of them, Been in the coop for about a little over 2 weeks. At first I was putting them on the perch at night but they would still be huddled together on the floor later. Now, it has warmed up a bit in the evenings 67... and they are being found huddled together in a corner of the run ever night, I go and put them in the coop and they act like they dont want to go inside? It is dry and nice temp inside not hot or cold just comfortable yet they stay outside? this is every night now. Im just leaving them out there as they will go right back out anyways after I go in the house. Whats the deal?
Odd behavior help
- Thread starter Sono
- Start date
Check the coop for parasites, or anything else in there that could be driving this behaviour. How is the ventilation for example?
How old are they, in weeks?
Yes...and are there windows?
Pics of coop, inside and out, might help here.
- Thread starter
- #4
Coop is new build, clean, plenty of ventilation no drafts. clean bedding, food and fresh water... no clue? I had to get some stuff from the garage so I went ahead and ran them all inside again before coming back in the house, just dont understand why they are huddling in the corner of the coop at the gate? it is electrified but I still worry of coons just reaching through and grabbing them....
Check out my new coop build thread..... start to finish.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/started-the-new-coop-build.1525498/
It's an off chance, since I followed your build, but check through the bedding of the coop for snakes.
I'd have sworn my coop was absolutely safe, but had blacksnakes in there twice this past summer -- they seem to have come in through the open door in the daylight and hid themselves in there.
I'd have sworn my coop was absolutely safe, but had blacksnakes in there twice this past summer -- they seem to have come in through the open door in the daylight and hid themselves in there.
I would lock them out in the run on the nice days a couple of times until they get used to it. When I got back into chickens my first group was terrified of leaving the barn. It took a good 2-3 weeks before they wondered out on their own. Now any new ones adjust to exploring outside the barn much faster since they have the older ones to show them it's not as scary as they think it is.
- Thread starter
- #7
I go in every day and sift the bedding around sometimes, no snakes so far . Tonight its cold at 47 and these tards are huddled at the gate? Again Im about to kick em to the field goal so they get the point...LOL Nah, but I scooted them all up the ramp and into the coop. after checking the fields I walked back by and they are all at the coop door huddled together> Do they not understand the perch? Do they not understand its warmer away from the door? Ive placed them on the perch and still they favor the floor or outside???? Im about to give up and just let them do their thing.... winter is around the corner and Im sure they wont be in the snow all night. Been thinking and might do....will a light in the coop help? not a heat lamp, just a bulb.
We raise anywhere from four to ten broods a year, 22 eggs per incubation (Nurture Right 360) and the chicks go into a rotation: first 2-3 weeks in a brooder followed by the next 6 weeks in a chicken tractor. The tractors I've built have an attached coop that's 6' wide x 30" deep x 30" tall with a roost bar 6" off the floor. The chicks have NEVER naturally graduated to using the coops, preferring to huddle together in a corner of the tractor. I started putting their feeder in the coop just inside the doorway where they can easily see it, and that's helped. They still sleep in a huddled cuddle puddle in a corner of the tractor, but at least they know they have a coop, lol.
After they graduate (pullets to the main flock, cockerels to the freezer), they still seem to cluster together on the floor of the building- our main flock is housed in two large coop structures inside a 20x30 open-ended tractor shed. They eventually pick up the habit of either grabbing some space on the roosts inside the coops or on roost bars at the back of the structure.
Your chicks will figure it out. If you want to move the process along a little faster, put them in at night and shut the door so they can't get out. Then let them out in the morning.
After they graduate (pullets to the main flock, cockerels to the freezer), they still seem to cluster together on the floor of the building- our main flock is housed in two large coop structures inside a 20x30 open-ended tractor shed. They eventually pick up the habit of either grabbing some space on the roosts inside the coops or on roost bars at the back of the structure.
Your chicks will figure it out. If you want to move the process along a little faster, put them in at night and shut the door so they can't get out. Then let them out in the morning.
- Thread starter
- #9
Their feed and water is inside the coop and they seem to have that down pat but sleeping outside I dont get? I guess being all the elders were had by coons theres no one to show them what to do this go as I never had this issue with the last group I added to the original flock.... Id have to make something to block off their access since the door is cut up so they have free access to the run currently ( as my original flock had ) they would all be inside by dark... not sure why these new hens arent going inside? Scared of the dark? Ill try a light and see what happens.
I've never needed to do that, but some people report that it works.
Just a small, dim light inside -- turned on a bit before dusk and off a bit after.
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