Chickens not roosting in the coop

[ncffp163]

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?

 

[3riverschick]

Put a light in the coop. if you don't have electricity to the coop buy a solar light that shines through the coop window. I have found that my Sussex will go toward a lighted area when it gets dark outside. which means inside the coop. by the way, my Sussex never had roosts. they just snuggle down in 6 inches of chips and went to sleep and they were fine .maybe your bird simply don't like Roosts.
Best,
Karen

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How big is you coop? Pictures would help. What are the ages of your birds.

 

[sourland]

Is this a new behavior or have they never slept in the coop ?

 

[3riverschick]

Raised Coop. 4 feet wide by 6 feet long by 4 feet high. 2 nest boxes attached to outside of the coop, opening inward.
6 adult large fowl Light Sussex .
Best,
Karen

 

[chickens really]

Train them...Herd them up into the Coop every night and lock them in till morning....

 

[Bobby Basham]

Train them...Herd them up into the Coop every night and lock them in till morning....

My chicks are only one week old, but they are jumping around and perch on top of the feeder. It's just a 4-foot long box in my bathroom, but they'll be transferred to a 4 x 6 foot brooder out in the garage and it will have several dowel roosts. They are truly board and need some more stimulation for all that jumping.

By the time they get out to the coop, they should know what roosts are for. --BB

 

[Giggles73]

so my chickens (2 Blue Chochin, 2 Speckled Sussex) are about 9-10 months old, now that it has gotten colder (12 degrees in coop last night) they are sleeping in the nesting boxes. Is this a big deal? They stopped laying completely about a week ago, I have 8 nesting boxes. The roosting bar is higher than the boxes, is the wider side of a 2x4, the coop is 8x10 so space is not an issue. I just figured they like to snuggle there in the straw...

 

[chickens really]

so my chickens (2 Blue Chochin, 2 Speckled Sussex) are about 9-10 months old, now that it has gotten colder (12 degrees in coop last night) they are sleeping in the nesting boxes. Is this a big deal? They stopped laying completely about a week ago, I have 8 nesting boxes. The roosting bar is higher than the boxes, is the wider side of a 2x4, the coop is 8x10 so space is not an issue. I just figured they like to snuggle there in the straw...

Vents need to be higher than roost...Zero draft on the Birds..Possibly why they chose boxes?..

 

[aart]

so my chickens (2 Blue Chochin, 2 Speckled Sussex) are about 9-10 months old, now that it has gotten colder (12 degrees in coop last night) they are sleeping in the nesting boxes. Is this a big deal? They stopped laying completely about a week ago, I have 8 nesting boxes. The roosting bar is higher than the boxes, is the wider side of a 2x4, the coop is 8x10 so space is not an issue. I just figured they like to snuggle there in the straw...

Vents need to be higher than roost...Zero draft on the Birds..Possibly why they chose boxes?..

Venting/drafts would be a good thing to check.
I don't care how cold it is out....no one sleeps in the nests.