Chickens won't sleep in their hen house??

[Jennine]

Last night I still had to place them in bed, they didn't go in by themselves even after I had removed the cedar. It may just take them some time to see that the cedar is gone. But tonight I threw some earth worms in there (they follow me around when I'm weeding, begging for worms) and they all hopped right in! And stayed in! And a few nights ago I physically picked them up and placed them on their perch, I did this last night too. But, tonight they hopped up there all on their own. So no more sleeping in the nesting boxes... I hope. I'm Probably going to keep throwing treats in their at dawn to get them in bed, so thank you for the recommendations on all the yummy treats. Im sure they'll love them. I'll keep you all posted on how they are doing. I'm hoping that getting rid of the cedar did the trick. Thank you!!!!

 

[Jennine]

Okay, here we are a week later and my girls are still not sleeping in their coop on their own!!?? I have removed all of the cedar, I put a light in, I have been only feeding them in there, I checked for anything at all that might be scaring them, it is in a quiet shady part of the yard and I can't figure it out??!! My next option is locking them in there for a week or so. Any other suggestions?

 

[kush3120]

I have to second the comment about locking them in the coop.

I was having the same issue for about 6 days they would not go into the coop. Even if I put them in the coop they would sleep on the ground. I was going out of town and did not want any surprises so I locked them in the coop for about 4 days. After that they went into the coop every night to sleep without help.

 

[chicklehead]

I'm having a similar problem with ONE of my 9 chickens. Amber just will NOT go into the coop at night. I find her on top of the coop every night when I go to lock them in. I've been wanting to get an automatic door but it will not help Amber any if she's on the wrong side of the door every night!

 

[LindaCT]

They really are creatures of habit so keeping them in the coop for a couple of weeks is probably the best idea. Hopefully they are still young enough to learn.

I put mine in their coop during the day in nice weather when they were quite little (some RIRs and some Polish bantams). I left a cardboard box on the ground inside the coop and they would all squeeze into it at dusk, then I would move them into brooding boxes in the house to sleep. Once they could get up the coop ramp to the upstairs roosting area they ignored the box and then I reckoned they were ready to stay in the coop at night too. Since then, they always go there when it is evening. Unfortunately the Polishes, except for the rooster, were still too little to go up the ramp so I kept them in the kitchen longer. They also got bullied so I keep them in a separate yard now. With their own little coop.

So the RIRs and the Polish rooster will happily go to sleep in the coop (the rooster isn't actually allowed to sleep there, but that is another story), while my Polishes do their own thing and go to sleep wherever they want to. On their coop roof in the rain, on a flower pot, on the side of their coop or just outside the kitchen door (a roofed over bit), on the recycling bins, anywhere. I pick them up EVERY NIGHT and put them inside it. Every night.

 

[Jennine]

Apparently chickens don't like being at the "bottom" of the yard, our backyard is on a big slope and they were at the lowest point in the yard. I moved their coop up to the top and viola! Every night they went to bed. Easy enough fix, I guess. We have also since built a new coop that's twice the size and they LOVE it!