Chickens won't go in the coop and its 6 degrees!

[kvmommy]

Last night I got home and went to lock the chickens up and my one hen who sleeps by herself in the pool shed was in the coop and the rest were outside. Some were in the little half moon protected part of the basement window and some were roosting on the metal which is freezing. It got to about 6 degrees. I spent almost 20 minutes trying to round them up and get them in the coop. Once there they were fine. Tonight they all slept outside the coop by the basement window thing. The coop is really small and they all cram into the nest boxes. But they free range so they ONLY use it to sleep in. During storms they stay in my pool shed which is open to them right now too and they often hang out in there or under the deck during the day. So they have options...but they are CHOOSING to sleep outside. Its too dark for me to move them without turning on the flood lights and once thats on they run away and bite if I try to move them to the coop.

Are they too dumb to know whether its too cold for them? Or do they know they'll be ok.

Why are they doing this?

What should I do?!!

 

[kvmommy]

I hope someone answers by tomorrow because I just froze my butt off wrangling chickens. I threw in a ton of pine shavings just in case theirs is wet from tracking in snow. The babies I hatched out don't fight too much but the roos have a hard peck! The babies my broody hatched are evil little suckers. AND once I get my oldest in there since they don't fight much, the hens get up and figure out how to get inside. The roos are dumb. They have gone in there every night for months except during Hurricane Sandy and a few snow storms when the sleep in the shed. But they don't want to be caught and then I give them a chance to walk around the coop and get inside. They instead walk to the back and cluck at the others inside...fly to the top and peck and cluck at the others inside but will not go to the front. Ugghhh...I knew animal husbandry was supposed to be hard work but I never expected to spend the 2 coldest nights of the year wrangling chickens! AND I was supposed to sell my 2 young roos all day and waited all day when I had things I needed to do for the person not to show up. IRRITATED! But...I do love my Brahma rooster, Lrrrr. He is just the sweetest thing ever. He never fights when I pick him but he does the funniest grumbling noise. Just grumble grumble grumble. I love him so much.

 

[CottonGinWaste]

Is there anything in the pool shed that is spooking them? Is your hen that usually sleeps elsewhere by herself but is now in the coop chasing them out at roosting time? If they're well-feathered and no large combs I'd say let them stay out tonight, unless you can see them well enough in the dark (with a penlight?) to gather them up. Any chance you can be there when they roost tomorrow night to see where the problem is? ( . . . yeah Boss, I know its only 3:00 in the afternoon but I have a horrible headache . . . . )

 

[CottonGinWaste]

. . . . bigger coop . . . .