Hello,
My wife and I built a new chicken coop (4'x4' Purina Mills design) with a run (12'x4') a few months back. Our 4 hens have been living in the coops happily for a month or two with one exception - three of the chicken will not go up into the coop at night. Instead, these three hens pile up in a ball in the space underneath the coop (which is part of the run) and try to sleep in the open air. This has meant that every night (1-2 hours after dark), I've had to go out into run, pick each bird up, and place them into the coop. Originally I did this to try to train them to understand that they needed to sleep in the coop (which did not work) and now I do it because the night temps are below freezing here in New England.
Any thoughts on how I might be able to re-train these birds to head into the coop at night?
Someone had suggested that perhaps the ramp leading up to the coop door was too steep (as I had never seen any of the birds use it .... they just jump/flap down). The one bird that does go up into the coop at night jumps/flaps up to the coop door as well - coincidentally, she is also the only who have started to lay eggs yet too. In order to rectify the ramp issue, I build a new ramp with a much gentler slope (and more "steps" along its length) with the hopes that the birds will use it to get up to the coop. However, it has been a few days now and they are still trying to sleep under the coop!?! The birds all their time in the run during the day, with the exception of one of them going into the coop to lay eggs.
Does anyone have any suggestions or considerations for how to re-train these hens to sleep in the coop at night? Since they have been doing it for 1-2 months, what can I do to break their old habit and get them to utilize the coop at night?
Thanks in advance!
-Okt
My wife and I built a new chicken coop (4'x4' Purina Mills design) with a run (12'x4') a few months back. Our 4 hens have been living in the coops happily for a month or two with one exception - three of the chicken will not go up into the coop at night. Instead, these three hens pile up in a ball in the space underneath the coop (which is part of the run) and try to sleep in the open air. This has meant that every night (1-2 hours after dark), I've had to go out into run, pick each bird up, and place them into the coop. Originally I did this to try to train them to understand that they needed to sleep in the coop (which did not work) and now I do it because the night temps are below freezing here in New England.
Any thoughts on how I might be able to re-train these birds to head into the coop at night?
Someone had suggested that perhaps the ramp leading up to the coop door was too steep (as I had never seen any of the birds use it .... they just jump/flap down). The one bird that does go up into the coop at night jumps/flaps up to the coop door as well - coincidentally, she is also the only who have started to lay eggs yet too. In order to rectify the ramp issue, I build a new ramp with a much gentler slope (and more "steps" along its length) with the hopes that the birds will use it to get up to the coop. However, it has been a few days now and they are still trying to sleep under the coop!?! The birds all their time in the run during the day, with the exception of one of them going into the coop to lay eggs.
Does anyone have any suggestions or considerations for how to re-train these hens to sleep in the coop at night? Since they have been doing it for 1-2 months, what can I do to break their old habit and get them to utilize the coop at night?
Thanks in advance!
-Okt
