Chicken won’t go in hen house at night

[Lilokieescorter]

I use a light set on a timer to get mine to go in to roost, hope that helps ya.

 

[Bear1978]

When you first moved them out there did you keep them confined in the coop for a few days with food and water?

 

[NatJ]

It’s almost like they think I’m supposed to pick them up every night to put them to bed

They might think exactly that!

You could try luring them in with munchies before dark, then shutting them in--that way they are already in the right place when they start to think about sleeping. It's more bother than just locking them in for a week, but probably equally effective.

What I’m getting at is that if they were just food then I might try locking them up but I don’t want to ruin our bond by doing that.

You won't ruin your bond with them by locking them in.
Just put them in one evening, as you have been doing--and do not let them out until it's been a week. They will not hate you, they will not be afraid of you, they will not remember you as the mean person. I don't think they understand that YOU are the cause of them being shut in.

(I'm not saying you must, just that you should not worry that it will ruin your bond with your chickens. It won't do that.)

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Have you kept them in the coop for 2-3 consecutive days/night to acclimate them to their home ? Sometimes chickens are just HARDHEADS and they will come around EVENTUALLY. We use a flashlight as chickens have very poor night vision and they follow the light on the rare occasion that they don't want to go in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It sounds like you have plenty of ventilation however I'm not seeing it from the angles you've provided, unless that strip of hardware cloth on the left of the photos head-on is the big ventilation you're talking about?

Regardless I think you'd benefit from additional windows for both natural light and additional ventilation, especially with these hot summer months.

Chickens will not want to use a coop that's too dark to see in, or too stuffy.

Locking them in for a few days is an option to home them to a coop, however only do that if it's SAFE to do so as far as temperatures.

 

[aart]

The top of the roof has a one inch gap the entire 8 ft length and on the left hand side of hen house has a one ft wide and 6 ft tall vent on both sides so air could breeze through

1" gap isn't much, I'd go 3-4" and have one under the back edge of roof too.
The 1x6' vents on one end aren't dong much for the rest of the coop.

Regardless I think you'd benefit from additional windows for both natural light and additional ventilation, especially with these hot summer months.

Chickens will not want to use a coop that's too dark to see in, or too stuffy.

Ditto Dat!

 

[City Farmer Jim]

If memory serves me its 1 square foot of ventilation per bird....more is DEFINITELY better.

 

[Cheery]

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.

Leave them locked in for 3 days. Then only let them out late say 3 ish on the first day gradually get earlier. feed them inside the run.
water inside the run.

 

[DadaHank]

They’re just being hard headed chickens. I’m fighting the same problem with 3 week old chicks. They run up and down the ladder all day and play in the brooder and all around the mini run. At night they huddle up on the ground. My wife and I waited until dark and scooped them up one by one back into the brooder. So annoying...

Put a light on a timer, that comes on for about an hour each night. ( Right now. Mine comes on around 9pm) you will be amazed that they go in by themselves!

 

[Ancient]

Totally agree with the light. If the coop is pitch black and the moon is brighter, the would rather stay outside