BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[DesertChic]

OK, rookie question:

My Naked Necks prefer to roost in the "open air" part of their coop (enclosed and predator safe), not the enclosed hen house. I tried to get them to roost in the hen house for a couple weeks at first before just giving up. Didn't think more of it until about a day or two ago - I have at least two hens who are near naked with molt, and it's going down to 36F tonight (and with them roosting up "in the breeze" - sometimes not even up against each other).

So I went in at dusk and moved them all into the henhouse, which made them all VERY unhappy (especially Snape the rooster). I am uninjured, but they are all ticked off at me. The issue tonight was that they kept trying to come back out (no door, just an opening) because it was darker in the henhouse than the outer part of the coop. I had to prop a board against the opening (and they kept pushing it down) - it was a real pain, and I'm sure it stressed them out a lot, which was not my intention. They can't see to roost, and are just in a pig pile by the door now (which is fine for now - I just want to be sure they are all warm tonight, it'll be warmer again tomorrow).

Strategy question: If I want to encourage them to start sleeping in the hen house, but would rather not go through the stress of moving them every night, should I have a low light in there at dusk to lure them in - would that work? (I don't have a way to lock them in, and no food or water up there - it's like a loft).

- Ant Farm

In my experience a little light definitely helps, but you're probably still going to have to endure a learning curve. You can now buy these awesome battery powered lights with infrared light switches to easily click on and off. My husband installed a couple of them in the chicken cabin and they not only work incredibly well, but the batteries last a lot longer than I'd expected them to...and now wiring!

Can you prop one piece of wood over the door and another against that prop to keep it in place? Closing them in at night will make the process a lot quicker.

 

[Molpet]

OK, rookie question:

My Naked Necks prefer to roost in the "open air" part of their coop (enclosed and predator safe), not the enclosed hen house. I tried to get them to roost in the hen house for a couple weeks at first before just giving up. Didn't think more of it until about a day or two ago - I have at least two hens who are near naked with molt, and it's going down to 36F tonight (and with them roosting up "in the breeze" - sometimes not even up against each other).

So I went in at dusk and moved them all into the henhouse, which made them all VERY unhappy (especially Snape the rooster). I am uninjured, but they are all ticked off at me. The issue tonight was that they kept trying to come back out (no door, just an opening) because it was darker in the henhouse than the outer part of the coop. I had to prop a board against the opening (and they kept pushing it down) - it was a real pain, and I'm sure it stressed them out a lot, which was not my intention. They can't see to roost, and are just in a pig pile by the door now (which is fine for now - I just want to be sure they are all warm tonight, it'll be warmer again tomorrow).

Strategy question: If I want to encourage them to start sleeping in the hen house, but would rather not go through the stress of moving them every night, should I have a low light in there at dusk to lure them in - would that work? (I don't have a way to lock them in, and no food or water up there - it's like a loft).

- Ant Farm

Well I would put in a door , throw in treats at dusk and close them in. They don't need water until after dawn..which is pretty late now

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

The light may help but I think you'll still have to physically move them a couple of evenings. Since you can't lock them in, wait til it's really dark before you move them.

In my experience a little light definitely helps, but you're probably still going to have to endure a learning curve. You can now buy these awesome battery powered lights with infrared light switches to easily click on and off. My husband installed a couple of them in the chicken cabin and they not only work incredibly well, but the batteries last a lot longer than I'd expected them to...and now wiring!

Can you prop one piece of wood over the door and another against that prop to keep it in place? Closing them in at night will make the process a lot quicker.

Well I would put in a door , throw in treats at dusk and close them in. They don't need water until after dawn..which is pretty late now

Thanks, all! That was fast!!!

I will be taking some time off of work over the holiday week next week, so maybe it won't be such a pain to suck it up and move them nightly for a while...

- Ant Farm

 

[Kev]

OK, rookie question:

My Naked Necks prefer to roost in the "open air" part of their coop (enclosed and predator safe), not the enclosed hen house. I tried to get them to roost in the hen house for a couple weeks at first before just giving up. Didn't think more of it until about a day or two ago - I have at least two hens who are near naked with molt, and it's going down to 36F tonight (and with them roosting up "in the breeze" - sometimes not even up against each other).

So I went in at dusk and moved them all into the henhouse, which made them all VERY unhappy (especially Snape the rooster). I am uninjured, but they are all ticked off at me. The issue tonight was that they kept trying to come back out (no door, just an opening) because it was darker in the henhouse than the outer part of the coop. I had to prop a board against the opening (and they kept pushing it down) - it was a real pain, and I'm sure it stressed them out a lot, which was not my intention. They can't see to roost, and are just in a pig pile by the door now (which is fine for now - I just want to be sure they are all warm tonight, it'll be warmer again tomorrow).

Strategy question: If I want to encourage them to start sleeping in the hen house, but would rather not go through the stress of moving them every night, should I have a low light in there at dusk to lure them in - would that work? (I don't have a way to lock them in, and no food or water up there - it's like a loft).

- Ant Farm

First- at those temps they will be fine. even the hard molters. As long as they are healthy, if that's the concern. good idea to train them now if the winters get much colder though....

light is not a bad idea, however as other responses hinted at- they are very much creatures of habit. you could have blinding lights on and they still would sleep outside. I would suggest both a soft light and remove all perches, anything they could sleep on outside. Or maybe one perch right at the entrance, basically forcing them to choose this one perch and maybe they will then go into the loft from there.

another idea- open up the loft more to make it less scary-dark. Bigger door or? still need to remove other perches to break habit.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Yeah, the perches are permanent parts of the open part of the coop.

I may just try to relocate them for a while to see if I can get them to start sleeping there. But you are reassuring me - it doesn't get all that cold here (into the 30s at night over the winters, a couple freezes a year, rarely into the upper 20s). But it is windy/drafty where they perch... (I suppose I could try a wind break/shade cloth against the HW cloth?). If they will be ok, I may let it be depending on how the relocation continues to go. Snape was a handful tonight (and rightfully so - he was defending his girls and everyone was screaming bloody murder - but it was a pain, and all the other roosters got going as well).

- Ant Farm

 

[Kev]

Yeah, the perches are permanent parts of the open part of the coop.

I may just try to relocate them for a while to see if I can get them to start sleeping there. But you are reassuring me - it doesn't get all that cold here (into the 30s at night over the winters, a couple freezes a year, rarely into the upper 20s). But it is windy/drafty where they perch... (I suppose I could try a wind break/shade cloth against the HW cloth?). If they will be ok, I may let it be depending on how the relocation continues to go. Snape was a handful tonight (and rightfully so - he was defending his girls and everyone was screaming bloody murder - but it was a pain, and all the other roosters got going as well).

- Ant Farm

Oh yes it is a pain dealing with screaming, frightened chickens after dark... It also will be surprisingly hard to break their habit.

our winters seem to be somewhat similar but your is overall colder. low 30s is normally the very coldest it gets.

Most of my current set up were made for peafowl and with mild winter and long hot summers, so the pens are either solid roof for shade or combination of solid and shade cloth. Wire sides for air movement. The peafowl are gone save for two old peahens(one going thru menopause right now.. getting male coloring). The chickens are just fine in this year around.

When the chickens were totally free range, no coop for them.. they slept up in a pair of pine trees and most did so at 10-20 feet up. A lot of them chose exposed spots on long branches sticking out sideways. Also all fine.. btw when I decided to stop free ranging, the chickens had the worst time adjusting to being penned up.. throwing fits every. night. pacing the wire wanting to get out and up into the trees.

Windbreak/shade or maybe clear plastic sheeting could work and they can go on the wire.

Perhaps temporarily block off the perches? Put up board, wire or something on the perches so they cannot get on them at all? if the perches are low, probably wire as they cannot perch on top of it.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
Some good ideas! I will ponder... I'll try to get photos tomorrow so you know what I'm talking about.

- Ant Farm

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

@Kev , here are some pictures. They all roost on the upper-most two perches (above where Snape is crowing). I'm thinking that perhaps I'll hang shade cloth over the hardware cloth by the perches - I have used it at the roost end of the tractors, and it allows ventilation while cutting big gusts and blocking entry of the sideways rain we seem to get a lot here.







- Ant Farm

 

[DesertChic]

@Kev , here are some pictures. They all roost on the upper-most two perches (above where Snape is crowing). I'm thinking that perhaps I'll hang shade cloth over the hardware cloth by the perches - I have used it at the roost end of the tractors, and it allows ventilation while cutting big gusts and blocking entry of the sideways rain we seem to get a lot here.







- Ant Farm

Nice setup! It would be really easy to close them in that pen if you wanted. I don't have a door (yet) on one of my pop doors so I just place a large piece of plywood in front of it and then a 4x6 "brace" wedged against the ramp on one end and the plywood on the other. They can't push it out of the way and it even stands up to high winds. Give them 2-3 days and that pen will be home. That said...if I were you I'm not sure I'd be worried about it. The outdoor roost appears well-sheltered and maybe they just really like the open, airy feel of it.

 

[DesertChic]

Oh yes it is a pain dealing with screaming, frightened chickens after dark... It also will be surprisingly hard to break their habit.

our winters seem to be somewhat similar but your is overall colder. low 30s is normally the very coldest it gets.

Most of my current set up were made for peafowl and with mild winter and long hot summers, so the pens are either solid roof for shade or combination of solid and shade cloth. Wire sides for air movement. The peafowl are gone save for two old peahens(one going thru menopause right now.. getting male coloring). The chickens are just fine in this year around.

When the chickens were totally free range, no coop for them.. they slept up in a pair of pine trees and most did so at 10-20 feet up. A lot of them chose exposed spots on long branches sticking out sideways. Also all fine.. btw when I decided to stop free ranging, the chickens had the worst time adjusting to being penned up.. throwing fits every. night. pacing the wire wanting to get out and up into the trees.

Windbreak/shade or maybe clear plastic sheeting could work and they can go on the wire.

Perhaps temporarily block off the perches? Put up board, wire or something on the perches so they cannot get on them at all? if the perches are low, probably wire as they cannot perch on top of it.

Menopausal pea fowl? I had no idea!