Chickens not roosting in the coop

[aart]

I have tried moving them. so I guess the better question is, is there any reason not to let them snuggle in the boxes? Personally I don't care about the clean up aspect and they aren't laying sooo...no harm no foul? pun intended LOL

I think sleeping in nests is a bad habit that's best nipped in the bud.
You might not mind cleaning nests now when they are not laying,
but cleaning poopy eggs might not be so cool,
and by then the habit may be much harder to break them of the habit.

I cobbled a permanent hinged cover over my nest bank, every year I have this problem with new groups of young birds. Last year to took 8-9 weeks for them to get with the program, this year only 2 days and they were on the main roosts with the bigs.
It's easy to flip it down an hour before roost time, then flip it back open after dark when I lock up.

 

[FlyWheel]

Is it a new coop? Chickens are...well...chicken when it comes to anything new. New to them, anyway.

When I built my ladies' new coop, as soon as it was done I herded all the older birds, released the maturing chicks from their "introduction" cage into it and locked them all in for the two days while I built their run. This worked two ways. First it introduced everyone to their new home, and two, everyone was so curious exploring it the older hens didn't even realize the new birds were actually outside their cage, so no problems integrating.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some of my bantam sleep in the nestboxes. Not sure why, but I see it more in colder weather. It just starts up out of the blue. I tend to let it go, especially in winter when poop freezes. When it starts to warm up I start blocking the boxes or moving the chicken. I don't tolerate it in my large breed flock. Sometimes one that is molting hard will start sleeping in a nest. I put them in a pen until they are mostly done or else it does become a bad habit.

If it doesn't bother you than leave them. You can always break the habit down the road.

 

[micstrachan]

My chickens will not roost in their coop. Anytime. they will gather in one corner of the run near the coop and sleep. I feel like I've got sufficient space on the roosting bars. They will go into the coop during the day, but not at night. I've got 8 Black Australorps, 3 Buckeyes and 3 Speckled Sussex. Any suggestions?

Is there any reason the would be afraid of the coop at night? Might mites be coming out at night?

 

[junkman56]

when I put my chicks in the coop for the first time, I kept them closed inside the coop for about 5 days so they would figure out this is where they should roost. after the 5th day I let them out in the in-closed run, every night iwould go out to check on them and they were inside the coop up on the highest roost.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sorry guy, so many experienced members giving good advice here... I just want to comment on how beautiful that opening picture was! That would be a really nice calendar page.

Great job, whoever took it!

 

[Giggles73]

Is it a new coop? Chickens are...well...chicken when it comes to anything new. New to them, anyway.

When I built my ladies' new coop, as soon as it was done I herded all the older birds, released the maturing chicks from their "introduction" cage into it and locked them all in for the two days while I built their run. This worked two ways. First it introduced everyone to their new home, and two, everyone was so curious exploring it the older hens didn't even realize the new birds were actually outside their cage, so no problems integrating.

No not new, its been their coop for a few months now, and until the cold came they were sleeping on the roost. I will let it go for now, we are putting in a new roosting bar this weekend.

 

[Giggles73]

Is there any reason the would be afraid of the coop at night? Might mites be coming out at night?

not that I can think of, and no mites that I can tell.

 

[aart]

I will let it go for now, we are putting in a new roosting bar this weekend.

But is the existing roosting bar the problem?
Pics of inside?
You might need to build nest covers rather than another roost.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Is the roost higher than the nest boxes? Birds generally would go to the highest point available. Plus, copy that about being possibly afraid?