Chickens will not go into coop.

[Vickie Gamble]

This will be my first winter, I live in Oklahoma so winter is not all that bad, but it does get cold at night. My question is my chickens will not go into their coop. They stay in the run and go up to roost. It was fine in the summer but now it's starting to get in the 30's at night. My chickens are about 2.5 months old..... Are they ok or not?

 

[FortCluck]

You can wait until night time and put them on their roost then shut the coop door. It'll take a couple of times for them to get it.

It's up to you if you want to leave them out in the winter, but me personally I wouldn't. Many predators are searching for food in the winter and a chicken just hanging out in the run sleeping will look very appetizing.

 

[Vickie Gamble]

Thank you..

 

[21hens-incharge]

You can wait until night time and put them on their roost then shut the coop door. It'll take a couple of times for them to get it.

It's up to you if you want to leave them out in the winter, but me personally I wouldn't. Many predators are searching for food in the winter and a chicken just hanging out in the run sleeping will look very appetizing.

I agree.....put them in the coop at night.

Your birds are pretty young. They need to learn where to sleep.
Is your coop really dark inside?
Sometimes young birds stay out to late and then cannot see to go inside. Silly birds.

Pics of your set up will help us see if there Is some reason they are choosing the run instead of the coop.
For example if there are roosts in the run that are higher than the ones in the coop.....

 

[FortCluck]

I got these really nice solar lights from Sam's club and I put them in front of the door so that my chickens can always find their way in. I have the same solar lights in front of my duck's coop too because they like to stay out a lot later than the chickens. They're the party crew!

 

[DottieMinerva]

I am way new to chickens and when we bought this farm, poor Dottie was living in a milk crate with some hay that was an afterthought in a shed. My husband built her a coop all for herself at the time. To get her accustomed to sleeping in the coop we locked her in there for about 4 days. All day, all night. When we got our two rescues, we did the same procedure. All the girls can be seen trotting to the coop when the sun goes down. I don't have to catch them at night. I do lock them in every night to protect from predators.

 

[Ms Clucky]

Try putting a dim light in the coop. When you go in to shut the door, just shut the light off. I use to have to do that for the first couple of weeks after I put my bantams in their new home for the first time. I still have to shine a light on the roost for one of my roosters because he was injured when he was a baby

 

[aart]

Pics of your set up will help us see if there Is some reason they are choosing the run instead of the coop.

Yes, please.
...also how many birds?
I've used a battery operated puck light to lure them inside,
turn it on around dusk then turn it off when I lock up after dark.

 

[BY Bob]

I also use the light in the coop trick as well. It works very well. Also physically placing them on the roost as well. That way they begin starting their day from the roost in the coop.

I would definately get them started using the coop. It should only take a couple of days. They will be much more comfortable there come winter.

 

[Cryss]

When I started raising chickens I had a similar problem except that they would huddle underneath the rais