Chickens roosting in enclosed run, will not go into coop

[liferider]

I have put my birds in there coop and they run out there entry ramp. I built them roost bars so they can rest outside during the day. Now there spending the night on it. They were all sleeping under the coop. What will it take for them to start roosting in the coop? Also is there any secret to help these birds start laying?

 

[Alaskan]

Several different points

1. A new place takes chickens a while to get used to. I just moved some bantams over to my new bantam coop...and I am still putting them to bed every night...moving them from where ever they decided to go to sleep, to where they are SUPPOSED to go to sleep.

The problems start when they
- are just confused, silly things
- the perches in the run are higher up than the perches in the coop
- the run is more comfortable ( is your coop too closed up, too hot, or?????)

I would make the roosts in the run lower, or take them out completely for two weeks. Also, put the silly things to bed, where you want them to sleep. This way they will wake up in the correct place.

As to laying....are you in the Northern hemisphere? If you are, then the days are getting shorter and shorter. Some breeds are more affected by the light decrease than others. If your chickens are old enough to lay, over 25 weeks, but not super old, then maybe they are not laying because of the light.

You can put in light for them, increase the day length to 14 hours a day, so they will start to lay.......or, you can wait until spring comes.

 

[liferider]

I'm in Louisiana so yes I'm in the northern Hemisphere. Putting chickens to bed? Please explain? Am I suppose to close there door and catch them and put them in the coop 1 by 1? How is this done? And yes there run roost is about 3' off the ground.

 

[Alaskan]

I wait until mine are perched, and mostly asleep... Then I go through the coop, pick up everyone that is sleeping where they shouldn't, and put them where they should be sleeping.

Don't worry, if it is dark enough, the chickens don't move much at all, there is no chasing etc. you just pick them up, carry them to where they should be, and put them down.

A head lamp is much easier than a flashlight.... You do need two hands to carry the silly things.

 

[aart]

How long have you had these chickens and how old are they?

If they are new to you, I'd leave them closed up in the coop itself for a few days so they can get used to using the roosts in the coop.

Hopefully your coop is of a good size, well ventilated with decent sized roosts.

 

[liferider]

 

[liferider]

The coup is 8'widex 3.5' long with 4 laying boxes . Including the ladder roost it has 18' of roost bar's inside. Chickens have over 1' between them if so desired. I read on the thread to give them plenty of room at least 12' per chicken

 

[bobshere]

I go outside just before dark and they usually jump down and go inside. Mine are still doing that and the temps are way below 32 now. I think its because thats the last place to get dark. Inside gets darker faster. We all know they dont like the dark.

 

[jujub41482]

Any idea how long I'm gonna have to put them to bed? My 3 Americaunas have been sleeping on my back deck, which makes for a really crappy morning out there, literally.

So yesterday I added an extension to the coop, giving them their own roost and plenty of room. Am I gonna have to put them to bed for a few days, weeks, months before they "get it"? I just hope I don't have to put them to bed when the freezing weather comes.

 

[Alaskan]

If you adjust things, so that the tallest and best roosts are INSIDE the coop...... You should have to 'put them to bed' for only about one week.

Locking them up, in the coop only, for a few days might speed things up....... But it doesn't look like there is much ventilation in your coop.

Seeing as you are in the deep south, I would be tempted to take off one of the coop walls, and replace it with very sturdy hardware cloth. The hardware cloth would have to be screwed down well..... You have lots of imoressive predators down there too.