Chickens won't use ladder

[MtnAngel]

We had the same problem.... the chicks would not go in at night... just huddled in the corner of the run where it was the lightest.
We have a window on the west side of the coop opposite of their pop hole... well.. we decided to clamp a light outside of that window... hubby has an extension cord from the coop to the underside of our house.... up the dryer shoot to our laundry room... we have the extension cord plugged into a surge protector.... around 8:30pm I turn on the light... at 9pm I walk down to the coop and close their pop door! Voila... they go in when the light turns on!

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[ogr8ys1]

Well, the light seems to have worked!! I had to hang a small flashlight in the coop where the nest boxes were and switched it on a bit before dusk last night. With all the rain we've had the chickens had been just sitting out in the rain - I was worried.... last night I went to perform my tucking chickens into bed routine, and I panicked when the outside coop was empty - well, I opened up the back and there they all were, snuggly and warm!! Bless their little chicken hearts and brains!! Thanks for all the ideas - I'm building a new coop later in the summer . .. this is really addictive, isn't it??

 

[Yeti]

The first day that I let them out in the run I had to take them out of their coop that they had been in for the last 5 days. To help them with the ramp I just sprinkled scratch at the bottom and then all the way up the ramp. They figured the ramp out pretty quick and were all in bed that first night!

 

[lunkerchicken]

Mine are 5 weeks and I have had them out in the coop for a little over a week. I have been gathering them in the evening and putting them into the coop. It's quite comical if I happen to leave the chicken door open. I'll put one in and go to gather another and out pops the first one. This cycle continued until the light bulb went off in my head and closed the door.
Last night there was some progress. I put the first two in the coop and 5 ran in on there own right after. I just had to track down the last one. We will see what happens tonight. Last night I even tried putting the heat lamp on (which I still need at night) and I left the door open. I thought as it got dark out, they would notice the light and go in on there on - wrong!!!
Good luck in your chicken quest!

 

[lunkerchicken]

Quote:
***Update***
I was determined tonight to hold off so I set up the heat lamp and went over my neighbors house. When I returned right around dark, ALL 8 were in the coop, up on the roost, napping - how cute. I was so excited. I quietly closed the chicken door, wished them a good nights sleep and off I went!

 

[lunkerchicken]

Quote:
***Update***
I was determined tonight to hold off so I set up the heat lamp and went over my neighbors house. When I returned right around dark, ALL 8 were in the coop, up on the roost, napping - how cute. I was so excited. I quietly closed the chicken door, wished them a good nights sleep and off I went!

***Update***
Tonight, just around dark, they all filed into the coop with no light!!! How exciting! I did eventually go out and put on the heat lamp to keep the girls warm.

 

[SimplyForties]

Yeah! I wondered about a nightlight on a timer so it would give them perhaps an hour of illumination after dark, enticing them into the coop and then shutting off. I haven't moved my chicks to the coop yet (haven't finished it) but am trying to anticipate solutions to my yet unrealized problems!

 

[Redsquirrel]

I have trouble with my cochins not wanting to go down the ramp. They would just stay up stairs all day in their feather slippers-hehe-been taking them out of there everyday cuz they just will not come down themselves. But my other hens took like 1 day to work it out. I just think my cochins are a little blonde-lol Love them though!

 

[NellaBean]

My cochins are the ones who have not figured it out either. I would say they were having a blonde moment, but they are black (and barred) cochins so that does not work, ha ha ha......First night I had to put all 12 away (6 cochins, 6 others). Next night two leghorns and a buttercup were inside when I came out. Next night all 6 of the "others" were inside up on the top roost, cochins outside huddled in the corner, next night same thing....hopefully they will start figuring it out. My coop is definitely darker than the outside world at dusk, so I may have to give them a nightlight or something......It's only been since Friday night that they have moved in. My cochins are very "slow" (but sweet).

 

[rivergypsy]

My pullets are 9 and 11 weeks old. When I finished my coop (finished just enough to move them in) Memorial weekend I was so excited and couldn't wait for the girls to move-in an start clucking about their new Coop. Was I disappointed. They didn't want to have anything to do with it. I enticed them with feed up the ladder, into the landing (which may have been a problem in itself, but I had no other way to connect the run to the coop) and put lots of feed on the coop floor. They would follow the feed, eat it and rush right out again. The third day I put a light on at dusk and left it on all night. The fourth night when I went out just after dark I too was frightened when there was not one chicken in the yard. How relieved I felt when I looked in through the window and saw them all lined up on the roosts. So this is not such an unusual problem obviously. They must need time to adjust to anything new or different.

I am still leaving the light on at night and don't know if they really need it but don't want them to freak out by turning it off. Any thoughts on this. Thanks, linda/