Chickens won't go in coop at night (new thing, they used to)

[KitchenLady]

So...

please bear with me its a bit of a tale, I'll try to keep it short!

1) 2 chickens (4 and 5 months old - Rhode Island Reds) Not my first chickens...but my first in a suburban environment.
2) Had them a month, the settled in well and adjusted to going in the hen house at night.
3) Pecked at each other and generally got on one anothers nerves, so we added a run which required a move (for more space) of the chicken coop/hen house.
4) They LOVE the new run, but as soon as we added it, they won't go in the hen house at night. They bunch up in the corner of the yard and peep like crazy, pecking at the wire and trying to jump up on it (at dusk)...in the corner closest to where their coop used to be.
5) They settle when I come out and talk to them, and if I let them out of the yard they run STRAIGHT away to where their coop used to be and peep like crazy.

So...here are my thoughts...

moving the coop freaked them out.

I have a few options:

1) see if they adjust in a few more days and hope nothing gets them

2) take off the run, but leave the smaller coop and hen house where it is (in the new place) keeping them penned in it and "re-train" them into the hen house at night (picking them up and putting them in and closing the door) and eventually, when the go in the house themselves at dusk, re-add the expanded yard Maybe add a light (I have considered the little solar ones) into the hen house to coax them in since maybe they miss the yard light (see below)

3) take off the run and move the coop back where it was (which was near the back door, where people come and go and the outside light is on and shines in the window of the hen house door, and hope they don't kill each other from feeling cramped.

Any other options I've not thought about?? Which should I try/do?

Any advise would be great, I've always had free-range chickens, and had chicks with their mothers to "teach" them - so I'm not a novice chicken keeper, just this is more different than I anticpated

Thanks!

Lisa

 

[HEChicken]

When you moved the coop, did you lock them in for a few days so they'd know that was their new home? If its not too hot now, the first thing I'd try would be to shut them in for a day or two. Then open the door and let them come out to explore when they are ready.

 

[Leslieb118]

When you moved the coop, did you lock them in for a few days so they'd know that was their new home? If its not too hot now, the first thing I'd try would be to shut them in for a day or two. Then open the door and let them come out to explore when they are ready.

X2 and there's no need to remove the run. Just put the girls in the coop at night and shut the door. Make sure they have food and water in there and don't let them out for a couple of days. Just make sure it's not too hot during the day to be in the coop during the day. They'll learn!

 

[KitchenLady]

Of course I didn't! LOL That seems totally obvious to me now - but.....

I took off the additional yard (for the now) and left them in the little coop with the hen house door open (its been 100+ degrees and only cooling to low 80's at night, so I don't want to lock them in the hen house at night) and it is "predator proof" and cooler underneath in the woodchips. When the heat breaks, I'll see if I can re-train them to the hen house at night, and then gradually introduce the larger yard.

I feel horrible - they just seem so traumatized!

And I'm frustrated because I feel like I'm back to square one I know it will take some time and patience, but I'm starting to feel there is little I can do til the temps come down a little!

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I'm new to chickens so am here learning and really have no experience to give advice. We got our chickens two weeks ago and they arrived at my place right at dusk. It was time for them to go to bed yet they'd never been in the coop before.

I began leading them to the coop by luring them up the ramp with a tiny bit of scratch. They went half-way up the ramp and then stopped. It hit me that the coop was totally dark and they couldn't see anything. I shined a flashlight into the coop and they went right in.

Next day we bought a small LED light [it's a tractor type coop so didn't need much light] and they went in with no problems. We've recently been able to turn it off and they're okay. Guess they know where they're going now.

Maybe a small light for a few nights would help?

 

[KitchenLady]

I feel like I'm new to chickens, which feels really strange, since I used to show them at the fair! Goes to show that "city chickens' are very different from "country chickens"!

I just went and peeked at them (gasping because it is still 85 degrees at nearly11:00pm) and they are nestled in the woodchips and fast asleep. I'm going to give them a few days in the smaller coop, and once its cool enough to put them in the hen house again at night, I'll "re-train" them. They aren't distressed during the day, and its so hot that I don't want to freak them out even more.

My Auntie Gertie, who raised me on her farm, would tell me "girly, you are over thinking this" all the time - I think I need to stop fretting over them and "mother henning" them to death!

 

[Big A Chickens]

Hi I am a novice in raising chickens myself also but have been around more experienced owers a majority of my life and have learned that chickens seem to have natural homing characteristics. That may be one of the reasons that they huddle close to where the coop use to be. I am sure that once the climate is comfortable where you are able to lock them in for a few days to retrain them everything will be fine! I'm working on my patience also as I am learning new things about my girls each day!

 

[polenslager]

I have noticed the same thing.. in that if we make any changes in the coop, my girls freak out..
Mine free range but go in the coop at night. We "put them to bed" so to speak by going out around 8:30
with treats to make sure they are all home and safe and shut them in the coop.


I totally agree on the light. If I leave a light on in the coop. I have a regular bulb in a hanging heat lamp fixture on a timer. It goes on
in the evening and off around 11pm my girls will go in the coop.

Actually even if I have made changes once they are used to it, they go in whether the light is on or not.

Give them time.

 

[KitchenLady]

Thank you so much for everyone's advice! I wound up returning the coop to the old place - and have been patiently working with them to slowly allow them to free-range in the yard (I stay out since its a residential area with some minor predator threat - namely neighbor dogs and stray cats and sometimes a coon or two). They also still have the yard, which I'm slowly working with them on actually going into it on their own. They seem to understand that "yard, girls" means to go in the yard, and "shoo shoo, girls" means to head back into the coop. Patience is definitely a virtue with them! They have re-settled back into the coop and tuck themselves in at night without issues. I think, just like my other critters (two dogs, three cats, pig etc) I need to remain still and let them tell me what they need, instead of deciding for them!

Thanks again!