Chicken won’t go in hen house at night

[Ginnybee]

My flock on average are 70 days old. There are 12 of them and at night they huddle out side the hen house and I have to pick each one up every night to put to bed about 9pm. They aren’t afraid of the house. It’s completely predator proof and they go in and out all day long. They are getting heavy and I don’t know how to get them to go in by themselves.

Hi, in the beginning I had to coax my chicks into their coop as well. Then I bought a string of solar mini lights and hung them in the coop. The lights automatically come on each evening and my chicks are happy to go into their coop. Might be worth a try!

 

[DinaVoorhees]

I wouldn’t worry about it too much, especially if the weather is mild. my chickens never sleep in their coop, they go up all the way to the beams at the top of the run. my vet said they like to be as high up as possible as protection from predators. I’m even getting rid of the coop because they never use it except for laying and am just building nesting boxes inside the run. maybe try building a roost or platform about 4 ft high and then have a ladder they climb to access it (my girls fly but i know not all breeds do)

 

[DinaVoorhees]

my vet also suggested getting a heat lamp and putting it outside where they like to sleep so they can stay warm if they want to

 

[Finally chickens!]

I leave one light on until they all go in and roost.

 

[Molly Mojo]

Mine kept dog piling next to the side of the coop (after a week of carrying each one in for a week) and I couldn’t get them off each other.

For a few days I had to physically place them on their roost. Timing is the key.

I had to get as many on there right as dusk was falling so they could get situated and get their squabbling done before completely dark.

I also placed one or two on there during the day if they were close while I was in coop. They would jump back down, but then it was like they just discovered something fun.

Now they all head in and get their places and settled down quickly.

 

[bluemtnwmn]

The suggestion I have seen that works the most often is: Put your chickens in their coop and leave them in there for a couple of days to a week. This is absolutely dependent on the temps not being too high in there during the day and making sure they have adequate food and water. This gives them time to associate this specific space with home and safety.
I was having very similar issues with my flock and this worked! When we moved them to a bigger coop we had to do it again, it worked! Seriously try it and save yourself a big headache.
Also, my flock was cuddling together on the floor of their coop. Putting cardboard or scrap wood into the corners to round them out a bit can keep them from piling to the point of hurting each other. When my flock got to about 12 weeks they started roosting on their own at night.

 

[Bunty144]

My flock on average are 70 days old. There are 12 of them and at night they huddle out side the hen house and I have to pick each one up every night to put to bed about 9pm. They aren’t afraid of the house. It’s completely predator proof and they go in and out all day long. They are getting heavy and I don’t know how to get them to go in by themselves.

Do they have a nice sturdy non-slippery perch - at least 5 foot off the ground. They do like to roost as high as possible.

 

[chickencoop57]

It’s 8 by 8 and it’s connected to the run so should smell the same. I built it we. Not a crack one other than the hardware cloth vents. The little 4 by 4 I had them in befor I built there nice coop they went in fine. I don’t get it. There run is 12 by 16 and hen house 8 by 8 and 6 ft tall. I think it’s big enough. Grrrr I don’t get it

Its big enough. Mine is 4' x 8', 7' tall. Sometimes when a hen dosent want to go into the house, I set my sprayer on jet and pop her in the butt with some water and she go right in and I shut the trap door. Just don't get her all wet. That's how I taught most of them to go in, at first.

 

[Paul Richardson]

My flock on average are 70 days old. There are 12 of them and at night they huddle out side the hen house and I have to pick each one up every night to put to bed about 9pm. They aren’t afraid of the house. It’s completely predator proof and they go in and out all day long. They are getting heavy and I don’t know how to get them to go in by themselves.

Try putting a small LED light in there as this has worked for me at times if this doesn't work check the pen at night for lice as they hide during the day and feast on the hens at night thus they will not willingly go in on there own have a clean out and spray the whole pen with Mortien Surface Spray no use using a cheap brand as they do not last i know let us know how you go

 

[kategre]

I would put in Windows covered in hardware cloth on each side.