Chickens won't go in coop at night!!!

[RIArmySGT]

So i put my ladies outside last Friday. Ever since then I have to put them in the coop at night. I went out last night at 830 at night and they are all huddled up with each other in the corner of the run. They have no probs coming out of the coop when i open it. Any suggestions would be great!!!!!!

 

[Coupe]

Most i can say is, keep doing what your doing..they will get it soon enough. Possibly lock them in the coop for a day and see if that helps. But all my new girls will sleep out in the run aswell..try to go out early and put them in there before dark.

 

[farmin4fun]

Sounds to me like you just put them in a new coop outside. If such is the case, your chickens do not yet associate the inside part of the coop as home. Chickens naturally want to roost someplace they feel safe. (home) My suggestions is to lock them inside the coop for a few days and they will learn where home is. This has always worked for me. Good luck!

 

[Ciqala]

I had this problem and folks here suggested a little light on in there for them at dusk, I put in a hanging flashlight because I don't have electricity out to them. It worked like a charm. The first night they needed me to be out there, but went in on there own. After that, I've just had to go in and close/lock up their door. I couldn't get over how quick they started doing it on their own just because of a "night light", lol. I shut it off when I'm closing them up.

 

[amnich]

Mine are completely food motivated, so to train them I would feed them in their coop at night and they would come running. Now they just tuck themselves in for the night (even though I feed them during the day now), and all I have to do is lock up.

 

[marty1248]

Yes, I agree with the light. I've been trying to get mine out for the past week or so. They couldn't/wouldn't find their way up the ramp into the coop. I ran a cord and small 40w into coop and an hour later they were all in there. That was three days ago... and they been outside ever since. Thanks for the great advice!

 

[homegrownchix]

Ok so I've been trying all these ideas and every night I find my rooster out with one wandering hen... Its like 16° out and chasing them around is getting old... Help!!

 

[FrozenWings]

Chickens are creatures of habit. Your chickens habit is for you to place them in their coop. I am guessing all your birds are young. I would suggest that for the next (2) evenings you place some chicken crack just outside and inside the coop. I would do it about 20 minutes before dusk. At dusk grab each hen and place her on a roost and close the door. By the 3rd evening they should be doing this on their own. I make my own chicken crack out of (7 lbs) wild bird seed, (14 lbs) chicken scratch, (2 lbs) oatmeal, and a package of dried up meal worms. You can also try yogurt. Let me know how that works.

-Frozen Wings

 

[Jedi Clampett]

X3 on the light. I had the same problem with chickens staying in the run or even roosting on the ramp to the door. I have power in the coop so I used a cheap timer to turn on a 25 watt light about a half hour before dusk, and stay on about an hour and a half. Worked perfectly. The 25 watt bulb is just enough to draw them in, but not so much light that they won't go ahead and roost.

 

[jlund2]

I have the same EXACT problem! I don't know what's wrong????? Can anyone give us any suggestions???

Also my chickens and roosters have been trained to go in at night for months now. And we already have a
red heating light in there because we are from Minnesota and it's been -10 and -15 below here.