Chicken won’t go in hen house at night

if I were a chicken I wouldn't want to go in there... it looks like a trap. I have wire sides so they can see out if they want and in winter (so california) I put layers of blankets over the wire areas. There's two houses with a wire tunnel connection. in winter the only part without blankets in the tunnel pass through

This is my plan on the new Florida coop, just shade cloth and/blanket in winter on the hardware cloth side. Ventilation is the biggest need in the hot climate.
 
If the ventilation is good, roosts are present as the highest point in the coop for them to perch and they feel safe inside the coop. They’ll go in at night. Maybe later than we would like for them to but they’ll go in.

For instance. I was at my parents’ house this evening from about 6pm until about 15 minutes ago; 9:30. I got home and went out with my headlamp to lock the pop door up and they were already on the roost tucked in for the night. They’re about 8-9 weeks old. No adult chickens to show them. I just locked them up in the coop for a few days when I first moved them outside with food and water, put a few of them up on the roost at night and they eventually figured it out on their own.

No grant it. My coop and run area is pretty dang secure; hardware cloth, tin roof, no gaps, 20in anti dig skirt around the entire coop and run area, critter proof locks and latches, etc. So I feel ok with not shutting them up right before dusk. But I know not everyone can do that. But just give em time. :)
 
If the ventilation is good, roosts are present as the highest point in the coop for them to perch and they feel safe inside the coop. They’ll go in at night. Maybe later than we would like for them to but they’ll go in.

For instance. I was at my parents’ house this evening from about 6pm until about 15 minutes ago; 9:30. I got home and went out with my headlamp to lock the pop door up and they were already on the roost tucked in for the night. They’re about 8-9 weeks old. No adult chickens to show them. I just locked them up in the coop for a few days when I first moved them outside with food and water, put a few of them up on the roost at night and they eventually figured it out on their own.

No grant it. My coop and run area is pretty dang secure; hardware cloth, tin roof, no gaps, 20in anti dig skirt around the entire coop and run area, critter proof locks and latches, etc. So I feel ok with not shutting them up right before dusk. But I know not everyone can do that. But just give em time. :)
Yep mine are 11 1/2 weeks old and no older hens. Just me to show them and they are my first babies with feathers as I like to call them and they have been an experiment and a testament to my research and want to skills. I must say the drive has been there to have them for quite a while. I never knew though really just how much that I would get attached to these birds and enjoy them so much. It is just shocking to me. They are so enjoyable to my entire family. Even my two dogs love them and protect them because they know we love them. It is amazing. But I put them in the coop now three nights ago and up on the roost once and the second night I had to catch them up in a rain storm but by night three they were in there waiting on me already on the roost as if I was running behind and they had been waiting for me to drive the train for hours that they were in their waiting on to get started down the track. It was hilarious. They looked as if they had all their luggage loaded up and I was the conductor who was dragging behind with all the tickets he had collected in the baggage cars and they were a bunch of tires hot old ladies in their traveling and riding suits and dresses that they needed to get changed out of for the night. I just love them. The toots! Here is a pic of my big girls on their roost in their riding clothes.
 

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I have a few chickens that like to sleep on top of the run from time to time. After free ranging I need to check if they are all inside at sunset 🌅 . This has nothing to do with enough light and ventilation in the coop or having learned that the coop is there bedroom. I have a very very light and ventilated coop. Some chickens (some individuals / breeds) just like to sleep outside/on top.

If the ventilation is good, roosts are present as the highest point in the coop for them to perch and they feel safe inside the coop. They’ll go in at night. Maybe later than we would like for them to but they’ll go in.

For instance. I was at my parents’ house this evening from about 6pm until about 15 minutes ago; 9:30. I got home and went out with my headlamp to lock the pop door up and they were already on the roost tucked in for the night. They’re about 8-9 weeks old. No adult chickens to show them. I just locked them up in the coop for a few days when I first moved them outside with food and water, put a few of them up on the roost at night and they eventually figured it out on their own.

No grant it. My coop and run area is pretty dang secure; hardware cloth, tin roof, no gaps, 20in anti dig skirt around the entire coop and run area, critter proof locks and latches, etc. So I feel ok with not shutting them up right before dusk. But I know not everyone can do that. But just give em time. :)
Just wondering. Why do you close the pop door if they are safe in the coop?

Cause I have a similar but lesser safe run , covered with netting. Because I don’t trust the safety of the run I have a automatic pop door that opens at dawn and closes at dusk.
 
Someone may have asked this already but, does the door close at nights? Are they safe if they stay out? Mine wanted to sleep on top of the coop so I opened the front wall and blocked off the roof access. Now they'll sleep inside. It's open but they can't be reached by predators from outside the run.
On a side note I'm in Georgia so extreme cold weather is not an issue.
 
I have a few chickens that like to sleep on top of the run from time to time. After free ranging I need to check if they are all inside at sunset 🌅 . This has nothing to do with enough light and ventilation in the coop or having learned that the coop is there bedroom. I have a very very light and ventilated coop. Some chickens (some individuals / breeds) just like to sleep outside/on top.


Just wondering. Why do you close the pop door if they are safe in the coop?

Cause I have a similar but lesser safe run , covered with netting. Because I don’t trust the safety of the run I have a automatic pop door that opens at dawn and closes at dusk.

In the future I may plan on leaving it open all the time. But they’ve only been out there a few weeks so I’d like to give it time to see what predators may try to get in overnight, if any at all, just so that before I do leave the pop door open all night I’ll have a better idea as to what I may need to make more secure or change. My enclosure has yet to be tested by any predators, at least from what I can tell. So I’m still a little leery about something trying to get into the run overnight. And I’m a little OCD/paranoid still with being a new chicken owner. Yeah, I know something could happen at any given time. Tonight, tomorrow night, next year. But I’m giving the presence of my chickens being here time to sit and see what critters I may attract and just how secure my set up is. I have an acre yard. Neighbors on all sides except the back and it’s not fenced in. However, what was once a horse pasture behind us, which is closer to my coop as it sits on the backside of my yard, they’ve fenced off and are building a huge house there. So I’m also thinking that once the house gets finished and the owners move in, that perhaps their presence will help keep any critters away that may have previously crossed that vacant lot to get to my yard. I’ve seen foxes, coyotes, trapped a opossum and a coon, as well as the occasional stray dog. So they’re here.
 
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 tried a trick I learned from here , leaving a light on at night in the coop till they all go in . Worked like a charm !! My chicks are 13 weeks now and going to bed on their own. By the time 8:30 rolls around I go out and all are on the roost waiting for me to say goodnights and shut off the lights . Hopefully it works for you as well as it did for me. P.S my coop was also new .
 
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.
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.
 

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