Chickens sleeping on the ground.

[Gamecock44]

Four wyandottes, one olive egger, and a rooster all sleep on the ground in the run. They have access to two coops. Why are they sleeping on the ground? Is this normal?

 

[janiedoe]

Four wyandottes, one olive egger, and a rooster all sleep on the ground in the run. They have access to two coops. Why are they sleeping on the ground? Is this normal?

How old are they?
Are the coops new for them? Do you have pictures of the coop and run set up, with both inside and outside photos?

 

[Gamecock44]

1. 9 months
2. No

 

[Iluveggers]

Have they ever slept in the coops? Do they go in the coop at all during the day? How big are the coops? What is the temperature outside? Is your run roofed & predator proof?

 

[janiedoe]

Have they ever slept in the coops? Do they go in the coop at all during the day? How big are the coops? What is the temperature outside? Is your run roofed & predator proof?

Excellent questions.

 

[gtaus]

Four wyandottes, one olive egger, and a rooster all sleep on the ground in the run. They have access to two coops. Why are they sleeping on the ground? Is this normal?

When I transferred my pullets out of the brooder into the coop and run, I actually locked them inside the coop for almost a week. So, they thought of the inside of their coop as home. When I let them out into the run, the first evening or two I had to pick up a few pullets and put them in the coop for the night. But soon they all went in by themselves. At first, they were content to sleep on the floor, but over a few weeks, one by one, they started using the roosting bar to sleep at night.

My chicken run is not predator proof, so sleeping outside on the ground is not an option for my birds. I would suggest first gathering them up in the evening and making sure to lock them in the coop overnight. Once they start going into the coop by themselves, then maybe check up on them to see if they are using the roosting bar.

I also added a ladder up to the roosting bar for a number of weeks until my chickens were brave enough to fly up there. Now, they never use the ladder, but I think it helped in the transition. By instinct, they should look to roost as high as possible in your coop, so give them time and it might all work out on its own. Good luck.

 

[Gamecock44]

Have they ever slept in the coops? Do they go in the coop at all during the day? How big are the coops? What is the temperature outside? Is your run roofed & predator proof?

no
yes to lay
small
40-75
The run is inside the garden. The garden is predator proof.

 

[Iluveggers]

no
yes to lay
small
40-75
The run is inside the garden. The garden is predator proof.

I would do what was explained above, put them in the coops at night every night until they get used to sleeping there. If they are not ventilated well, the chicks may not like it.

They don’t see it as their home. Putting them in a few nights in a row would show them it is their house.

If you could post pictures of the coops, both inside & outside, we could help figure out if there are any parts of the coop that would make them reluctant to sleep there.

 

[Gamecock44]

Trying to post pics now.

 

[Gamecock44]