Chickens won't sleep in the coop

[tjcib]

So we have two australorp hens. They have slept in their coop night after night for the past year. Now they don't go in anymore. They actually freak out a little bit and jump out quick if you try to put them in there.

BUT... they go in every day and lay in the nesting box in the coop. They just won't sleep in there...


We had a couple hens die a few weeks ago. This coincided with the change in the behavior. But what can I do to get the girls back to sleeping in the coop.

They free range on 1/3 of an acre at all times. Predators are not an issue. They are currently perching on our deck railing at night. Cute, but a little poopy...

 

[lingon]

Maybe try a night light? For my younger ones, shining a light into the coop when it was dark enough for them to be going to sleep made them move in and start roosting inside. (I just went out a used a flashlight for a few minutes.) Perhaps there's a light shining out from your windows onto your deck railing encouraging them to roost there at night?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

So we have two australorp hens.

BUT... they go in every day and lay in the nesting box in the coop. They just won't sleep in there...

Is their a roost to perch on inside?

 

[RWise]

Ventilation? To hot inside? To dark inside?
I have month old chicks that do not want to go in at night, however I pick up a couple and put them on the roost the others want to follow. I will be adding some light and see if this helps.

 

[tjcib]

Is their a roost to perch on inside?

Yes, I have two roosts at two different elevations. Plenty of space for two birds. And both are above the level of the nesting boxes so they don't sleep in there.

Just odd that they stopped roosting in there after a year of no issues.

 

[tjcib]

Ventilation? To hot inside? To dark inside?
I have month old chicks that do not want to go in at night, however I pick up a couple and put them on the roost the others want to follow. I will be adding some light and see if this helps.

We just had the monsoon here on the east coast and everything was flooded, but their coop was bone dry. It is also in deep shade. The temp never rises above 80 degrees in their coop, it is quite amazing.

It is weird to me that they all of a sudden stopped roosting in there. For a year they went in every night with no help. Now I can't get them in there at all...

 

[Maxine_51334]

I was told to put the top to a solar light in the coop for light,it worked

 

[Redhead Rae]

Did you check for predators living in the coop? A snake can hide in a small spot.

 

[tjcib]

Did you check for predators living in the coop? A snake can hide in a small spot.

I did a full clean out. completely cleared all substrate, swept and cleaned specifically to look for snakes or anything. Found nothing. At least now they have all nice new, clean everything for when they get back in there...

 

[tjcib]

I was told to put the top to a solar light in the coop for light,it worked

Hmm, come to think of it, the only change that was made was I took out the light dome from the winter that we used to wake them up earlier. We hadn't turned on the light for a few months, but I never thought that the light housing itself could be a trigger...

Thanks!