Chickens stopped going in the coop - UPDATE

[Subgauge]

Going back to your original post, you said you have a light on. The light should not be on at night when the ladies go to roost but should turn on early in the morning to get your 12 hours of light. They may be getting mixed signals from natural light to artificial light.

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
Really? I have the light on for about an hour after dark and then again early morning so they get about 13 hours of daylight. I thought having a light on in the coop helps them go in. Do I have that backwards?

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

I've got my light on night and morning (split ) my hens go in just fine, once in a great while one will get caught on the wrong side of the window but that only happens when i first start to use light

 

[skovats]

Sounds like it was warm outside mine have done this as well on warmer nights

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
I thought having a light on in the coop helped them go in and get settled on the roost. My light is on evenings and again at 5:30 AM so that they get adequate light this time of year. I've been using a light for a month now, so they were already used to it.

It was warm outside for this time of year (about 45*). It's so frustrating that a couple of girls like to stay outside. I going to try and add an additional roost in the coop this weekend to give them more room to spread out. Maybe they don't all want to be on the same board at the same height?

 

[mdbokc]

Mine definitely use the light in the evening to focus on the coop as daylight fails. I thought I had them all in one night but had miscounted and was one short. (Hard to count to 12 when they are moving around.) When I went out to make the final check and give goodnight pets (they love that!), I heard a little plaintive squawk from the nearby woods. I focused a light and a girl was SLOWLY moving in the darkness towards the coop, one little step at a time. I went out and picked her up and carried her to the coop. She was a very happy girl in my arms as we walked toward the light.

Plus mine are late night eaters just before they head for the roosts. They really load up before bed no matter how much they have eaten outdoors.

 

[TipsyDog]

Quote:
That's another issue I have - mine are fed in the run only. I've done this all summer and haven't put their food in the coop because they are always outside from dawn to dusk. I am going to put their food in the coop now and maybe when they return to the run in the evenings they will start to go inside to "pig out" before bed.

I guess I have to make a few changes as winter approaches. It's my first winter and theirs too

I will give their evening treat inside the coop tomorrow too. Right now they are getting a couple of apples before bed. Hopefully it will encourage my outlaws to get into the coop!

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Quote:
I thought having a light on in the coop helped them go in and get settled on the roost. My light is on evenings and again at 5:30 AM so that they get adequate light this time of year. I've been using a light for a month now, so they were already used to it.

It was warm outside for this time of year (about 45*). It's so frustrating that a couple of girls like to stay outside. I going to try and add an additional roost in the coop this weekend to give them more room to spread out. Maybe they don't all want to be on the same board at the same height?

you just have stubborn chickens

mine go in even if its warm they are fully free range no fence and I've got low, big pine trees they like to go in, but not over night. but I do feed in the coop all the time, water outside, try throwing scrath in the coop close to dark, that might help

 

[TipsyDog]

They all went in tonight!

Earlier I went out and coaxed them into the run with a couple of apples. I then threw the apples into the coop and put their feeder in there too. Locked the run door and went inside.

I just went out to check and the coop door closed with ALL the girls on the roost

I will keep their feeder inside the coop from now on. It's also alittle colder (39*) than it was the past few nights. Hopefully they will all get back into their routine and be safe and secure.

Another thing I did today that I NEVER thought I would - washed 2 chicken butts!

My RIR's had poop stuck so I washed their butts and blow dried them. They seemed to like it. WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO?????

 

[elmo]

Is their roost outside higher than the roost inside? I wonder if adding more roosting space inside the coop might help.