Help needed. New chickens not going into new coop at night. Airlifting 36 chickens is exhausting!

[Farmer D]

I'm a certified organic farmer too, with a mobile flock of 28 field-working layers. I wouldn't hesitate to confine the birds for 5 days (after ventilation issue is solved) to allow for safe management (i.e. getting them in the coop at night). It's a one time thing, and for their own health and safety, so you can do it without jeopardizing your certification status. Unless you had a certifier and/or inspector tell you specifically you could not, I would do it!

 

[aart]

I am also thinking of putting in a greenhouse charcoal filter with fan. I can't help but think that breathing in pine shaving dust is not healthy for anyone - humans or birds. I wonder if anyone has done that before. I may try it.

Charcoal filters are for chemical/VOC absorption.
If you want to filter out dust particles, that's a different filter.
Either will clog quickly tho in a coop environment.
Best to have fan blowing into coop late in day to cool things off.

 

[StevenW]

Wondering if anyone out there might be able to assist.

I'm an organic farmer with a new beautiful flock of 36 pet chickens - an equal number of hens and roos.

I'm having an issue with the flock entering the coop at night - a beautiful coop with plenty of room, food, water and roost space.

The coop is built on a trailer and there is space below the coop, as well as space below the trailer that chickens can hide from predators during the day. I noticed they also use this space to hide from roos that want to mate, and roos who are a bit aggressive toward other roos.

We are going on 2 weeks now and I'm still needing to airlift them into the coop at night, as instead of going in the doors or up the ramps, they decide to roost underneath the coop on the trailer. It seems nice and dark and protected there, however, not from raccoons and other predators, when the sun goes down.

It's getting to be exhausting.

I heard that you should keep them confined in the coop for a while, so that they learn to go in at night, however, I am not allowed to keep them confined, unless there is extreme weather.

I've tried food and treats and they come out from the trailer for a bit, but then if I don't grab them, they go back under when it starts getting dark.

I've never had this issue before with a flock of hens. Could the roos be keeping them under?

The other thing I should mention, is that they got outside permanently to their new coop very late in the game - almost at the adult stage.

Advice needed on how to resolve this, to get some of my time back, and maintain my sanity! : )

I have to keep them shut up in the coop for three days and nights. After that I have only had one or two problem chickens the rest come in every night

 

[MissE]

Locking them in the coop for a few days to train them shouldn't affect your certification. It's a safety issue and you won't be doing it for an extended period of time.

I have an electric poultry fence. Its 164 feet long, which will enclose approximately 1600 square feet. That gives each of your birds about 44 square feet of space. With that much space, you can easily keep them in the same area for a couple weeks.

The fence is made to be portable. Set up is quick, and a DC fencer with a solar panel will keep it charged. I can tell you from experience that it will stop bears, dogs, foxes, pine martens, mink, weasels, and fishers. I don't have raccoons...yet. This would offer day and night protection. Then you would at least have the option of picking your battles if the chickens really don't want to be inside. Arial predators are still a problem, but they are with your current anyway.

Hopefully the fan and leaving the windows open will encourage them to roost in the coop. Chickens want as much ventilation as possible.

What are your plans for the extra cockerels? Once the pullets are laying age, the cockerels will fight them and each other for mating rights. I have one rooster with 22 hens/pullets and I still end up with bare backs. My girls fight over who gets to sleep next to Lucky (I didn't name him, my husband did. I don't think he's "lucky" being surrounded by cackling biddies.) and aren't bothered by him, but bare backs are disturbing to some people. A 50/50 ratio is going to lead to more than just bare backs.

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Put a light in the coop.. They can't see in the dark so as the sun goes down they will gravitate to the light... After they all go in give them a few to calm down then close the door and turn the light off.

I have a few small solar lights in there, but last night I could tell they weren't enough. I am going to try more light and will let you know how it works!

 

[kodster]

Put the birds in the coop, lock them in for a week. To heck with the organic agriculture regs for that week, as it is normal to lock birds into a coop for the break-in period of a new coop, to get the birds trained to the idea that this is their new home. After the week is up, they should be trained, and then you can go back to the regulations of allowing them access to the outside. I think you're taking those regulations too seriously, as it is standard practice, even with ORMI, to lock them up to get them adjusted.

 

[Borders3]

I have a few small solar lights in there, but last night I could tell they weren't enough. I am going to try more light and will let you know how it works!

I have a string of solar fairy lights in mine, not too much light but enough for them to see to get on the perch.
Yes I would defo lock them in for at least 5 days it has to imprint on chicken minds that that is home, as this is a temporary measure it shouldn't impact on your certification but before you do could you open the coop so you have a vent either end and can put your fan in one end so that it blows straight through and takes all the heat out the other end?

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Locking them in the coop for a few days to train them shouldn't affect your certification. It's a safety issue and you won't be doing it for an extended period of time.

I have an electric poultry fence. Its 164 feet long, which will enclose approximately 1600 square feet. That gives each of your birds about 44 square feet of space. With that much space, you can easily keep them in the same area for a couple weeks.

The fence is made to be portable. Set up is quick, and a DC fencer with a solar panel will keep it charged. I can tell you from experience that it will stop bears, dogs, foxes, pine martens, mink, weasels, and fishers. I don't have raccoons...yet. This would offer day and night protection. Then you would at least have the option of picking your battles if the chickens really don't want to be inside. Arial predators are still a problem, but they are with your current anyway.

Hopefully the fan and leaving the windows open will encourage them to roost in the coop. Chickens want as much ventilation as possible.

What are your plans for the extra cockerels? Once the pullets are laying age, the cockerels will fight them and each other for mating rights. I have one rooster with 22 hens/pullets and I still end up with bare backs. My girls fight over who gets to sleep next to Lucky (I didn't name him, my husband did. I don't think he's "lucky" being surrounded by cackling biddies.) and aren't bothered by him, but bare backs are disturbing to some people. A 50/50 ratio is going to lead to more than just bare backs.

Thank you! I will check with the certifiers and hopefully that will be the case. I haven't locked them in at all, because I was told that the only time I could was if we had severe weather and it had to only be for a very limited time. I am required to document it as well.

I'm going to check again, as that was 6 years ago with my other flock.

I am definitely going to check into solar electric fence. My current fence on the other flock is 550 feet long. On the newer chickens, I started out with just over 100 feet, until they get acclimated, then the intent is to add to get to at least 450 feet. It's a very large area with lots of lean-tos, toys, huge shrubs and trees for cover and shade, multiple food and water stations etc.

I'll either have a separate roo flock, or remove the girls who do not free range well (these tend to be the ones who are not as able to get away from the roos) and provide them with a smaller area. An example is my salmon favorolle. She is great, but is one of the few in the other flock who gets over-mated and gets time away from them. I'll probably end up removing those one's permanently to their own, less lively flock.

The roos are great protectors in this area from hawks, and the multiple lean-tos and shrubs are where they seek cover. : )

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Charcoal filters are for chemical/VOC absorption.
If you want to filter out dust particles, that's a different filter.
Either will clog quickly tho in a coop environment.
Best to have fan blowing into coop late in day to cool things off.

My fan has shipped and should be here hopefully today : ) Can't wait to install it.

I have also seen another type of fan that is installed at the top and circulates slowly to de-stratify the air. It's different than a ceiling fan.

Has anyone used one of those as well?

 

[Buffy Brahma Mama]

Put the birds in the coop, lock them in for a week. To heck with the organic agriculture regs for that week, as it is normal to lock birds into a coop for the break-in period of a new coop, to get the birds trained to the idea that this is their new home. After the week is up, they should be trained, and then you can go back to the regulations of allowing them access to the outside. I think you're taking those regulations too seriously, as it is standard practice, even with ORMI, to lock them up to get them adjusted.

I have certainly tried to not lock them in and made every effort possible to just let them figure it out. I have about 10 of them that have figured it out at this point.

At this point it is a life safety issue for them. If I don't air lift them lol, they will get eaten. We have a ton of raccoons in the area, as well as the other night predators. My fence is a deterrent, but it will not stop anything that wants in from going over it. I am hoping they will understand that I've made every effort and will be ok with me shutting them in for a short time.