Chickens won’t go inside at night

[Cryss]

Btw, heating the coop doesn’t allow them to develop their natural winter down jackets so, no, they won’t like it outside. If you have a storm and lose power you will probably lose birds due to freezing. Insulation and heat are not good for them. Let them be chickens, not humans. Humans wear down jackets. Chickens grow them.
The heat lamp is also a danger of fire. There are tons of stories on this site about heat lamps burning down coops and sometimes spreading to homes and other buildings. Chickens flap n try to fly so the can knock down the lamp. Dust, feathers, wood shavings, straw, all gets flying around the coop when they fly around or tussle for the best roost space. This lands on the lamp and can spark off a fire.

 

[TLobin]

Food should be removed from the coop area at night so it doesn’t attract critters. Water can start but should not be inside the henhouse. Btw the henhouse is usually called the coop and the outdoor fenced in area is called the run. So keep the water in the run. Water, indeed all sources of moisture, inside the coop can build up condensation in there and on the chickens. In winter this is the reason for frostbite. Other sources of moisture in the coop are the respiration’s of each bird, and their poop. Adding a heat source can actually make it worse with cold air hitting heat and moisture. The answer isn’t heat, it’s ventilation.
Of course your question was about them going in at night. So back to that. I agree you shouldn’t use the auto door till they are consistent. And the light outside should be off so they face low the natural seasonal light patterns. Sudden light and sudden dark is frightening and confusing to them. As it gets gradually dark they want to go to their safe place. The most common way to teach them where their safe place is, is to lock them inside the coop with food and water (one of the rare times to put food and water inside) and don’t let them out for like a week. They get real familiar with the space and begin to feel comfortable there. They start to recognize it as home.
As for chickens needing 14 hours of light, this is true but seasonal. Are your birds laying eggs yet? Chickens get natural light for extended time in the spring and summer. This stimulates them to lay eggs. As days get shorter they get less light and slow down egg production. Some even stop. It picks up again as days get long again. You do not need to supply them with artificial light unless you are needing them to lay consistently in all seasons. Perhaps you sell lots of eggs so you need that to happen. One thing to remember is their bodies have a set lifetime number of eggs. By making conditions to lay all year long they finish laying much younger in life. So it’s a personal choice depending on what you need from them. I don’t use lights myself. I can wait a bit for spring. I don’t try to make a living selling eggs. They’re just for the family and a few friends.
Geez I do ramble don’t I? You could help us give you more precise advice by posting a few photos of your coop setup, inside as well as outside. The run too. Do you have it critter proofed with hardware cloth? What kind of ventilation does your coop have? Where are you located? Texas chickens have different needs than Ontario Canada chickens.
This site has taught me sooo much. You are in a good place here to learn the best practices. Once you know what to do it becomes easy and you can enjoy your birdie babies. WELCOME TO BYC!

So much to reply to so I will make this short as I’m quite sleepy tonight. The run has a roof like a house, wood and shingled. It came with hardware cloth around the entire run from floor to ceiling. The coop is completely enclosed with vents only, no windows. I also put screen around the outside of the run to prevent snow from getting inside. The run is mostly insulated with some open areas for natural light and air flow. I’m in Minnesota so it’s quite cold here but not yet as cold as it will get yet! The heat lamp only takes the chill out. It doesn’t actually “heat” the run. It only makes it bearable. I am going to adjust the light sources tomorrow and hope that helps. Also I do not sell eggs. They are for my family and occasionally a friend when I have enough to share. I spent every summer growing up on my grandma’s farm. I took care of many animals and worked the farm but she didn’t have chickens when I was a kid. If she was still with us I’d have the best resource in the world. I will figure this out. Up until now my girls have been perfect and I am enjoying them very much. I have a greenhouse that still has green grass in it. When I do a deep clean I put the girls in that as they do not like the snow! They’ve come to like being carried from the coop to the greenhouse as they get to stay in it for a couple hours. Now who’s rambling?!?! Me! Thank you for your advice.

 

[aart]

Please post pics of coop and run...inside and out.
Here's some guides, including adding pics.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/announcements-feedback-issues-guides.3/?prefix_id=3

Oh, and...Welcome to BYC! @TLobin
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Geena]

I also have silver bubble insulation on the walls which I installed when it started getting really cold here. I think the reflection from the inside light shining on the insulation is the problem.

I think this is probably why they don't want to go into the coop anymore. I'd get rid of the insulation and the heat lamp, neither one is necessary.

 

[Cryss]

I think this is probably why they don't want to go into the coop anymore. I'd get rid of the insulation and the heat lamp, neither one is necessary.

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