Chickens won't leave the coop

[Frazzemrat1]

The way you worded this, that you open the door when you get home... do your chickens have access to the run during the day when your not home?

 

[KaOsFarm]

If I separate him how can I make it so he doesn't get lonely?

 

[KaOsFarm]

They have a small door about the size of them, a little bit bigger. They use that door to get in and out. I open that every morning. I also have two large doors that take up one side of the coop completely. If I open those doors the entire coop is exposed. It makes it easier to clean. There are 7 nesting boxes and one door takes up 3 1/2 of the boxes. I also have a wire fence that, during the winter when it is too cold for them or when they were younger I would put in for ventilation during the day. I have to remove one of the large doors and put the fence in every morning. I haven't been putting it in now that they have been going out. But I opened that door this morning to see if it helped and it's the first morning they have gone out like normal for them. They are free range.

 

[KaOsFarm]

I will get pictures this afternoon.

 

[apryl29]

I'm wondering if, with the shorter days, they're not getting enough sunlight in the coop to make them realize that it's daytime. I'd like to believe that they can see the light coming in through the door & see the rooster going outside, but chickens are strange sometimes. Either that, or they are such creatures of habit that when you stopped opening those doors they didn't think they could go out. I know whenever I open my human door I always have chickens standing there ready to run out. They just KNOW that when the door opens they get to go out. When I used to let them out through the run they would stand there waiting for me to open it even though the big human door was wide open. (& as I type this I just realized that my cockerel has been mad at me the past couple days b/c I put up a piece of wood to block the wind to one of the chicken doors for the winter and that blocks what was his exit through his run.)

 

[KaOsFarm]

 

[KaOsFarm]

This is their coop. I opened the big part this morning and they were out when I got home.

 

[KaOsFarm]

I do notice that there is more squabbling then their used to be. Even the hens will pick fights more with each other than I have seen in the past.

 

[KaOsFarm]

So thiS morning I watched the roo as I was letting him out, turn around and chase the hens back into the coop. I have never noticed that before.

 

[aart]

AhHA!
He may be protecting them...or he may just be PITA young cockerel.
Do they have a run or do they just free range all day?

You're going to need some ventilation in the coop come winter,
and some windows for light wouldn't hurt either.
Winter in NH is gonna be tough with the set up you have now.

You might seriously consider getting rid of the male, depending on your chickeneering goals. A male is not needed unless your plan to hatch out replacement layers.

FYI.....semantics, maybe, but can be important communication terms when discussing chicken behavior.
Female chickens are called pullets until one year of age, then they are called hens.
Male chickens are called cockerels until one year of age, then they are called cocks(or cockbirds or roosters).
Age in weeks or months is also a good thing to note.