Help! Hot and getting Chicks to stay in Coop

[itsnickers]

I am a new chicken owner and I just put my month old golden buffs (I have 4) into their coop. They didn't stay in the coop the first night so I read that I should lock them in for 48 hours to get them acclimated. My problem is that i'm in Arizona and the coop is just over 100 degrees! The outside temp is about 90ish. Any other ideas to train them to go into the coop (and out of the run) at night? Any help would be awesome!

PS: I LOVE MY CHICKENS! My husband and I have just fallen for this whole experience!

 

[ekalf33]

I am in AZ too! Welcome to BYC. So my chickens are probably 1.5 to 2 months old and they are doing great. when I first put them out I didn't know about the whole 48 hours thing, and also I only have a roost and nesting box, there isn't really a place for them to eat food or anything. I digress, what i did when I noticed that they weren't roosting is at night when they have settled down and it's a little cooler I took them and put them in the roosting place. the next night the majority of the chickens went there and then I put the rest in there. The day after all of them did it on their own and I don't have to physically put them to bed. Kind of silly but after a couple of nights you won't have any worries and it will be automatic. Wait until they have bedded down for the night and then they will stay pretty much where ever you put them.

 

[Beckaberry]

Hi there, my advice is this: your chickens will figure it out and eventually do what they should, but I am overly concerned about the temp in your coop! I would definitely recommend fans and plenty of good ventilation. My girls will lay outside if they're too warm inside, which is fine with me. They have plenty of protection. They are also 3 years old and know what they like

Make sure somewhere you have shade for them and a nice spot to dust bathe under a bush or tree where the soil is fine. Some recommend sand, but my girls want nothing to do with it. They do enjoy peat moss though.

Good luck and welcome to the best internet source for everything chicken!

 

[ekalf33]

I have lived in AZ for the majority of my life and we have always kept chickens. The first time i ever heard of someone putting misters or fans in their chicken coop is on BYC. I like to take care of my animals but I think this is a little excessive. My view point is that I am a steward over them and it is my responsibility to take care over them and it is their responsibility to provide me with food.

What I do is for my watering I have an old 55 gal plastic barrel that we cut the bottom off of and we keep it filled with water. I clean it out about once a week or two cause it gets groudy I provide them with filtered shade via grape vines growing on top of the open air coop, and keep them outside so they can get a breeze. The ground is naturally sandy.... more powdery, so they frequently take dust baths. In over ten years I have not once lost a chicken due to the heat. I have 9 hens and all 9 of them lay, every day. in the winter it freezes but they do fine, I get about 5-6 eggs a day due to the amount of day light. I take care of my animals but I will not pamper them as pets. They are to serve a purpose and my purpose for them is food, my view is a little harsh to some people but I will not lose sleep over my chickens.

 

[Mims]

I saw an idea where someone took a plastic dish tub, added bricks and pavers up to just below the rim, then added a mosquito dunk and water. The water keeps the pavers cool and they stand on it to cool off.

I'm in west Texas and 110 temps in the summer is almost a cold front!!

 

[itsnickers]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice! I locked them in for 48 hours and alas, found them bedded down outside in the run tonight again. I will try placing them in each night and see how they do. Honestly, the run is well protected so they could stay out there. I have the coop under a fig tree that is well shaded. Today it was about 100 degrees and they were fine; definitely more active as the sun started to set. Great to hear ideas; I will try all of them until something works!

 

[aart]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice! I locked them in for 48 hours and alas, found them bedded down outside in the run tonight again. I will try placing them in each night and see how they do. Honestly, the run is well protected so they could stay out there. I have the coop under a fig tree that is well shaded. Today it was about 100 degrees and they were fine; definitely more active as the sun started to set. Great to hear ideas; I will try all of them until something works!

How much ventilation in the coop?

Heck, I live in Michigan and am thinking of installing an exhaust fan to work like my whole house fan to draw some cooler night air into the coop at the end of the day.

 

[itsnickers]

There is some ventilation but no cross ventilation. We were planning on cutting out the one closed side of the coop and putting up chicken wire to increase the cross ventilation. Like the idea of the ceiling exhaust fan but right now the coop is too small. We are already realizing a walk in large coop would be better, easier, and easier to expand our flock as well.

 

[henless]

Do you have any pics of your coop that you can post? It would be easier to help you with your problem.

It sounds to me like they are hot in the coop and prefer to stay out in the run. It gets hot/humid here in Texas. We built an open air coop to help cope with the heat. In the Winter, I put up clear plastic for a wind break and they do just fine.

This is how it looked when we first built it. It was 10x20. The North wall was enclosed & West wall was partially enclosed.



I have since divided the original coop into 2 separate coops. Each are 10x10. I have taken down the North & West walls.



I do have a large fan I turn on in the summer when it gets to 90 and above.

 

[itsnickers]

One side of the coop is closed, the other we opened the door and put in chicken wire. We put the coop under a Fig tree that stays mostly shaded all day with just filtered sun. They seem to hang out under the coop all day (sand) and in the evening they venture to the run and play (where they then bed down until I pick them up and put them in the coop for the night). Today it was up to 105, the coop was 100. They are drinking lots of water, eating plenty, but panting and holding wings out. Here are pics of the coop and run. Thanks for your thoughts!