Chickens Won't Return to the Coop at Night

[aart]

Show more of the new coop, inside and out, please.
Why is the pop door so high?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

I have the same issues when I move my 5-week-old chicks from the brooder in the main coop to my grow-out coop, which is 4' x 8' and elevated a couple of feet above the ground. Usually I leave them locked in the grow-out coop for a week before I open the pop door for them to get down. I have an 8' x 12' run dedicated to the grow-out coop so no adults in there. So they are usually around 6 weeks old when it's time for them to put themselves to bed. If they want to they can fly down or up. I don't have a ramp, I have steps they can hop up or down, but most fly down in the morning and over half fly up when they finally decide to put themselves to bed. I usually have groups of around 17 to 24 chicks.

They are physically capable of getting in or out but they just don't want to. So you need to train them. Many people have success locking them in the coop for several days but a week does not work for me. Mine huddle on the ground under the pop door, yours go somewhere else. I wait until it is dark enough that they have huddled so they are easier to catch, at least the first ones. Then I lock them in the new coop overnight. I do this consistently every night until they learn to go in on their own. I had one group that every one got the message after only one night of being put to bed. I've had two groups where it took 3 weeks before the last 3 or 4 got the message. Typically I see a few start putting themselves to bed after 2 or 3 days and the last ones are going in after 7 or 8 days. Each group is different, I don't know how they will react.

I do not set them on roosts or do anything more than just toss them in on the floor. They sort themselves out. I'm OK if they decide to sleep on the coop floor even after they put themselves to bed. When they are ready they will start to roost on their own.

How light is it outside at night? How well can they see? If your coop is too dark for them to see while it is still light outside they may not be comfortable going into that dark space. That's why some people have success putting lights inside. With the window you described the inside of the coop should get plenty of natural light. But if you have street lights, security lights, or such the insides may still seem dark to them. I don't know if this is an issue for you or not.

Good luck and once again

 

[cochinswede]

Everyone, thank you all for all the helpful tips and advice. This evening we put a little light in the coop and 9 out of 10 went in on their own. It seems that was what was needed. I do appreciate everyone taking their time to help me. I’m a first time chicken owner and very much want my chickens to have a comfortable home.

 

[McChooky]

Everyone, thank you all for all the helpful tips and advice. This evening we put a little light in the coop and 9 out of 10 went in on their own. It seems that was what was needed. I do appreciate everyone taking their time to help me. I’m a first time chicken owner and very much want my chickens to have a comfortable home.

I recommend framing the doors where they meet in the middle to support a strong latch secured with a carabiner. Predators can open simple latches.

 

[McChooky]

Show more of the new coop, inside and out, please.
Why is the pop door so high?

Its raised off the ground a couple feet

 

[Alilbit88]

Update: Thank you all for the assistance. A little light was installed and that was just what was needed for them.

Hi everyone,

Hope I can get some much needed help on this. We have ten English buff orpington chickens and two coops. One was gifted to us, and one - much larger than the gifted coop - we've built ourselves. The chicks had moved to the gifted coop (closer to the ground, a small ramp maybe 3 inches above ground) and lived there for no more than 2.5 weeks. They returned to the coop each night and we had very few problems with them returning to the coop at dusk. So few that all I would have to do is just close up and come back into the house. Unfortunately the coop didn't last as we noticed moisture and mold developing. The moment we noticed that, we finished the larger coop within the day and moved them to the new coop. Ventilation, tons of room, etc. It's up to chicken code. The new coop is above ground, so there's a 2.5-3 foot height to reach the entrance. The ramp was too steep initially for the chickens, and with some bricks we were able to raise the ramp and get 9 out of 10 to comfortably and quickly come down in the morning.

However, they absolutely refuse to go up to the coop either during the day for shelter, or to come in at night. They actually puddle together at the bottom of the coop on the opposite side of the entrance. We don't have a run yet, we free range them and that's fine, but I honestly don't know what happened for them to be so wary of the bigger coop. We left them in there initially for 3 days to imprint on the new coop but it hasn't worked. They don't have issues getting up the ramp either, I can coax them in with their favorite mealworms, but each night I'm having to physically take the chickens and put them at the bottom of the ramp so they can climb up, which makes no sense to me since they could easily take a step up to access the ramp. I've also seen them pile into the coop, change their mind and go back to the bottom of the coop again. Anyways...any help would be much appreciated. I've attached photos for reference.

View attachment 4053973
This is the gifted coop

View attachment 4053974
The new coop.

View attachment 4053975
Rush hour for breakfast.

Where is the ventilation?you said there’s lots but don’t see in the pic. If they don’t go there’s an issue with the coop that’s giving them negative experience. There needs to be a lot of ventilation or they can’t breathe and won’t go in. That happened to me…there were ventilation panels on the coop but it wasn’t enough for them and they refused to go in.i set up camera and noticed some struggling to breathe inside. Also during the summer it was getting too hot.

 

[BDutch]

I recommend framing the doors where they meet in the middle to support a strong latch secured with a carabiner. Predators can open simple latches.

Depends where you live. So far we don’t need them in the Netherlands. We have no racoons here.

 

[cochinswede]

I recommend framing the doors where they meet in the middle to support a strong latch secured with a carabiner. Predators can open simple latches.

We’re installing latches this weekend The ramp is currently used to bar the doors securely at night at the moment. We’re in Sweden so foxes and birds of prey are our biggest threats.

 

[hennanny]

Everyone, thank you all for all the helpful tips and advice. This evening we put a little light in the coop and 9 out of 10 went in on their own. It seems that was what was needed. I do appreciate everyone taking their time to help me. I’m a first time chicken owner and very much want my chickens to have a comfortable home.

we have Buffs and one altho a couple of years old stays out still way past dark.. that just maybe the answer.

 

[McChooky]

I've used a 5 watt bulb for years