Help! Hens not heading into the coop anymore!

[ErinLeah]

I am SO confused- For the last year or the girls have been amazing about going to bed before their automatic door shut behind them. So good that is was almost magical.

One week ago we went away for a little vacation and had a neighbor watch them. He told us that two were on the perch underneath the coop the first night and they had to manually put them in to the coop through the front door. The next night all of them are on the perch under the coop. Ever since we got back all four of them have been perching underneath their coop every night after the door closes at dark. I searched and searched for red mites inside to coop and inspected my girls- all clean as a whistle. I’ve been doing the deep litter method over the winter because we are in northern Colorado and it gets cold but I cleaned it all out a couple of days ago and put in some fresh hay.

Their water is outside but their 10 pound feeder is inside. They still lay eggs inside the coop. Also, the coop is like Fort Knox. There is no evidence of a mouse even getting in that coop – we built it ourselves- it’s solid. So- I beg of all of you chicken experts that have helped me so many other times… What is going on?? What else can I do?? Not mites, not rats or move, not ammonia from poop....I’m stumped!

 

[cavemanrich]

Since the temps may be pleasant, maybe the chickens decided it just fine overnighting outside. Try removing that perch underneath coop and see what happens. If you are not able to remove,,,, then make it inaccessible best way you can.
Chickens do prefer to roost on something, than to stay on ground. If the only roost that is available is inside coop, I think they will return to it nightly.

My other thought, and it is somewhat confusing. since they were going in all up to now. Is it dark inside coop, which would make it not desirable to enter at dusk??

You can add a light to be on at bed-time, and after pop door closes, figure out a way to auto turn off, or timer, or solar which will burn only soo long into night.

That is my batch of ideas,.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Maybe they're just not ready to go in to roost before the automatic door is. Whenever they're finally ready and the door is closed, they won't have a choice but to sleep outside. I have no idea how automatic doors close, whether its on a timer/clock, or if it like those night lights that come on when it senses farkness, lol. But either way, maybe they're just not ready to go to roost yet. My chickens have been going to roost much darker than they normally do here lately. I think they just simply enjoy their evenings out as much/long as they can. I myself would enjoy sleeping outside on bright moonlit warm nights after months of winter blues maybe they simply do to. Of course it could be anything, i just threw out the first thing that popped in my head, lol.

 

[RojoMarz]

I'm also in Colorado (extreme Southern). We are still getting well below freezing each night. Can you post some pics of your setup? Sounds like something happened/changed, while your neighbor was watching the chickens. What directs the pop door to shut? Timer or sensing eye or manual? My pop door isn't closing until 7:45 pmish...have you checked to see what time yours is?

 

[ErinLeah]

Since the temps may be pleasant, maybe the chickens decided it just fine overnighting outside. Try removing that perch underneath coop and see what happens. If you are not able to remove,,,, then make it inaccessible best way you can.
Chickens do prefer to roost on something, than to stay on ground. If the only roost that is available is inside coop, I think they will return to it nightly.

My other thought, and it is somewhat confusing. since they were going in all up to now. Is it dark inside coop, which would make it not desirable to enter at dusk??

You can add a light to be on at bed-time, and after pop door closes, figure out a way to auto turn off, or timer, or solar which will burn only soo long into night.

That is my batch of ideas,.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I did think about the idea of fencing off the underside of their coop to make that roost in accessible but it’s definitely clear to me now with your comment! I think I will do that today and see what happens. Thank you so much for your ideas I’ll try the fencing off before the light but the light will be the next thing! It’s just so weird. Also, the temperatures aren’t actually nicer right now they were 17 yesterday morning and in the low 20s because we are in northern Colorado and of course We get freak snow storms one day and 70° the other! Thank you so much!

 

[ErinLeah]

I'm also in Colorado (extreme Southern). We are still getting well below freezing each night. Can you post some pics of your setup? Sounds like something happened/changed, while your neighbor was watching the chickens. What directs the pop door to shut? Timer or sensing eye or manual? My pop door isn't closing until 7:45 pmish...have you checked to see what time yours is?

yes! Crazy weather here still low temps and then of course 70° days as well – oh Colorado! My door operates on a light sensor and it doesn’t close until about 805 I would say. Definitely when it’s full dark. It’s so strange because there was never ever a problem in the last year with them going in unless we had a freak snowstorm and they got confused by the lightness outside. The night my neighbor started watching the chicken, the neighbor across the street lost a few of his chickens to a bobcat but he is on a ravine and we are not. Distant chicken screams that scared them? No idea! Thanks for your comment!

 

[RojoMarz]

yes! Crazy weather here still low temps and then of course 70° days as well – oh Colorado! My door operates on a light sensor and it doesn’t close until about 805 I would say. Definitely when it’s full dark. It’s so strange because there was never ever a problem in the last year with them going in unless we had a freak snowstorm and they got confused by the lightness outside. The night my neighbor started watching the chicken, the neighbor across the street lost a few of his chickens to a bobcat but he is on a ravine and we are not. Distant chicken screams that scared them? No idea! Thanks for your comment!

What about, for a week or so, going out before full dark and putting them inside, then manually shutting the pop door...sorta to retrain them? It could be that the chickens heard the commotion at the neighbors and are now feeling anxious about their coop, not really knowing/understanding that they heard.

 

[ErinLeah]

Here are some pics of my setup!

 

[cavemanrich]

Really nice coop, but I can see there is not much natural light inside. Since you have electricity in coop, first line of effort would be to install a light on a timer. If that solves the problem, then proceed to install some windows. There is nothing better than Maintenance free daylight at work!!

 

[ErinLeah]

Really nice coop, but I can see there is not much natural light inside. Since you have electricity in coop, first line of effort would be to install a light on a timer. If that solves the problem, then proceed to install some windows. There is nothing better than Maintenance free daylight at work!!

TOTALLY!!! A window in the giant door on the front has always been in the plans. I was going to find a smallish one that could actually open as well for extra ventilation in the summer. I do have electric in there and I could put a bulb in no problem. Thanks for the advice between all of your responses I think I’m going to nail this!