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- #151
Deenok
Songster
Do they have perches to roost on in there?
[/Q3 roosts inside
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Do they have perches to roost on in there?
[/Q3 roosts inside
Straw and de on the floorClose them in the coop for a day that is cool. Check for snakes they can get in anywhere. What do you have for flooring in o\your coop? mine prefers a mixture of cedar and pine with marigold, rosemary, and other herbs and flower petals.
Thank you very much I spent 500 dollars and built the hen house and run my self I took my time and tried to do it right. So thank you for stating that it’s probably not due to my coop design. I will try herding to teach. Thank you and everyone else for y’all’s advice.I think your coop is perfect just as it is. Sometimes I have a few new chicks that have to be "taught" to go in at night. I go out just at dusk when they would be thinking of going in and help them find the door. DON"T pick them up and carry, they just wake up in a new place and don't learn anything. You have to herd, or shoo them into the coop and shut the door for the night. A few nights of making them responsible for themselves and they will get the message. Also, I only feed/water inside the coop, year round so they know that is where they belong. When they are out to free range I prop the door open and now all I have to do is go take a quick count to be sure all are in and shut the door. Works for me, hope it helps you too!
I added a window on the sideAre there any windows? Maybe they are afraid to enter a dark area. When I first started letting my 6 chicks out into the run at about 7 weeks, I only had one food container so I brought it into the coop as it started to get dark. The chicks came in for the food, I guess. I only took two days of me herding them up the ramp. Now, they just go inside and fly/jump up to roost when it starts getting dark, but my coop has lots of windows, so it isn't really any darker than outside. I'm lucky to have a very cooperative flock.
Thank you for your insight. The only osb is the door to my run and that’s temporary until I make a real door the rest of the wood in the hen house is real ply wood lol 30 dollars a sheet. The grass is sod that I replace every two weeks for 25 dollars, my neighbor picks up The trampled sheets one day and puts straw down until he comes and lays new sod 1 or 2 days later. That works out super great And they almost always has fresh grass not treated with any chemicals. The also free range every day that’s why it lasts two weeks lol. Thanks your right they like the perch in the middle but they have three in the house. My wife says they’re just spoiled and want to see me every night to be tucked in. Lol. They are sweet and I love them. Hopefully they get the idea soon.I see a few things I'll just mention, but experimentation is always the solution.
That is a mighty nice big perch you gave them out in the run, I can see why they want to stay outside. Also, I found my chickens don't like hay, but prefer pine chips. I also ONLY use the chips in their nesting boxes. The inside of the coop has a tray that I line with paper only. There are two nice perching rods inside my coop next to the nesting boxes. depends on how they are feeling if they sleep on the roost or in a box.
I don't have much venting in my coop. if they are broody and in there all day when it's hot, I will prop the lid open to get circulation, otherwise just the door from the ramp gives them air.
I think they much prefer the nice green grass you have. Grass wouldn't last very long with my birds, they would mow it down to dirt in a week. I use a mixture of sand/dirt and bark in the base and turn it over now and then with fresh sand. a bit of water to help it decompose is also good now and then.
I can't see all the wood you used, but is any of it treated? I see what looks like OSB as well as plywood. OSB is full of lots of glue and chemicals that really stink. Exterior Plywood is what should be used, then primed/painted to make it last more than a year. The only exception to treated is the piece of wood that contacts the dirt around the edge. If that's not treated, it will rot very quickly in most environments. My store bought coop was not designed to last more than a year, so I built a treated frame around the bottom and added extended wheels, so I can pick it up and move it like a wheelbarrow! that's been sooooo handy, believe me. good luck!
Yes I will add pics tomorrowYes they must have some sort of light; I read they don't see at all in the dark so if they were to fall they couldn't direct themselves safely.
Other thought is could there be a rat/rats in there at night? They are really sneaky and adept at getting in and many a flock has not wanted to go in the coop because they anticipate the rats at night; even read that they sometimes nibble on the chickens feet.
Do not put food in the coop for the night as it greatly attracts the rats. If you feed them, they will come. They can get in a quarter sized hole! You must have quarter inch wire mesh to keep them out. If a dirt floor they will burrow in. Great chewers too in re: to wooden house.. Can you put a camera in the coop to see why they don't want to be in there at night?
Lol that’s what I said when I saw all the replies but I thank all of y’all for your supportIt got featured in the weekly email.