Chicken won’t go in hen house at night

[Bear1978]

What time were you trying to get them to go into the coop?

 

[Gwenmjm]

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.

I had the same problem at the same age. I hung a flashlight in the coop and kept the side door open. This worked for me. It took about a week for them to get it, and no more tucking them in at night.

 

[BDutch]

Update y’all. They all go in now and even perch by them selves. I added two windows and 2 days later and for the past week they go in by themselves. I’m excited. Thanks yall

for a coop with lots of natural light and fresh air!

 

[thepick4uchicks]

Hmm.. I wonder if you made another vent/window closer towards the middle or right side of the pop door area and another one on the opposite wall but right across from the other one? Just a thought. But I’m not chicken whisperer.

Hi Deenok! I have my first ever of my own backyard flock of nine. They have just this week spent their first three nights inside their new coop and run which my husband built for them all by himself without a bit of help from another soul. He is such a hard worker and does anything I need or want done and I am so thankful for him but this project was a big one. The heat this year in Mississippi was awful and we have been used to it all of our lives I tell ya. Very much used to it. Working out in it gardening and having animals and playing sports as well as cooking competition wise as well also and we have just been sick of it this year hands down. The real feel indices have been unbearable for the animals and humans. I cannot keep up with laundry at home or cooking of cool laundered clean clothes to also run the units while the sun is down and at a good or better time. Back to the chicks. Mine also have leaned in three short nights with good cool temps how to roost as well as load into the coop at night at dark. The first night I picked them up and set them up on the roost. They didn’t stay up there but we had filled the bottom of the coop floor with a very thick layer of pine shavings which are not treated or sprayed with anything or any poisons. Untreated wood shavings is what I am meaning. This coop floor is about three to four maybe five inches thick Incase if they fell off the roost at night asleep they would be okay in the instance one of them was asleep and did injured itself it would not hurt itself seriously. I hope all my rambling a 4:30 in the morning make sentences and sense.

 

[Lilokieescorter]

Hmm.. I wonder if you made another vent/window closer towards the middle or right side of the pop door area and another one on the opposite wall but right across from the other one? Just a thought. But I’m not chicken whisperer.

I have a small section like that to the left of my door & I have a light on a timer, even though they now go in before it comes on. BUT I too had to have to pick up the silkies & put them in to coop every night for about 5 days, the big kids were 1st in & they finally started going in, but then they had to huddle @ the door. Finally the silkies are going up on the roost!

the opening is probably 2ft, the door overlaps & my roost is 4x4x8 or just right @ it

 

[Bear1978]

What time are you going to put them up?

 

[Carol1463]

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

Are you saying , a light in the chicken pen will bring chicken inside? Mine use to go in the pen ( but now free range during day ) won’t go in without a struggle every evening . There is an owl around now, so we try to herd in prior to dusk .

 

[Annacee]

Do you have a roost inside the coop? Are they trained to roost?

 

[aart]

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

Are you saying , a light in the chicken pen will bring chicken inside? Mine use to go in the pen ( but now free range during day ) won’t go in without a struggle every evening . There is an owl around now, so we try to herd in prior to dusk .

The light is in the coop.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I haven't had a chance to go to through all the threads but lately my young chickens are being directed into the coop by one of the alpha roosters. I witnessed at dusk yesterday the alpha rooster literally guiding and pecking the hens back into the hen house before dark.