How cold is too cold?

[TennesseeChicken]

We have a group that has taken to roosting outside at night. They seem to do okay at just below freezing, but, in Tennessee we can get in to the teens or lower. I have tried and tried to get them back in to the coop at night, but they refuse. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. They are free range, so....

 

[aart]

I'd worry more about predators than the cold.

When birds won't go into the coop there could be several reasons.
Not enough space in coop for the numbers of birds.
Not enough ventilation in coop.
Integration issues(younger vs older birds).
Pests in the coop.
Not 'homed' to the coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I grew up many decades ago in the Cumberland Gap area of Tennessee. We had chickens sleeping in trees when it was below 0 F and no frostbite or other problems. These chickens were not on the dead branch of a tree looking out over a bluff and squawking defiantly in the teeth of a blizzard. They were in a place pretty well protected against wind but they had great ventilation. I don't know how protected from wind yours are. We would go years without predator issues but anytime they are not securely locked up they are at risk. Some people have serious predator issues.

Like Aart said there could be many different reasons why they won't sleep in the coop. How many birds total do you have, ages and sex? How many sleep in the coop and how many in trees? How long have they been sleeping in trees? How much roost space do you have in the coop? Photos can help us understand or we might see something. Do you have a run they can't fly out of associated with that coop. What do you have to work with? Are there problems you need to fix?

They are now in the habit of sleeping in those trees whatever the reasons they started sleeping there. So you need to break that habit if you want them to sleep in the coop. The basic way to do that is to lock them in that coop or the coop + run until they are in the habit of sleeping in the coop, once any problems are fixed. I don't know how long that will take. I'd go at least two weeks and probably a full month. Do not give them a chance to go back to those trees at night.

If you know where they are sleeping and can safely catch them at night, that's possibly an easy way to get them or most of them. That can be dangerous to you in the dark and sometimes just not realistic. You may be able to trap them using food. Maybe live traps if there are only a few or maybe lure them into a run where you can close the gate. Catching them all might be a challenge.

 

[chickens really]

You would have to train them to the Coop by locking them inside for about 5 days with feed and water.

 

[TennesseeChicken]

Thanks for the replies! The chickens that are roosting outside just started doing it a few months ago when we found a possum right outside their coop door one morning. We dispatched the possum. For two weeks after that, I tried to get everyone in; usually with newbies it only takes a few days. Some would stay, then roost outside again. Since then, I've only lost one, but not sure it was a predator as there were no visible marks on her. There are some from this flock that still go in, but most are outside. They all fit in the coop nicely at night, but it is too small to lock them all in during the day. Same with their 'run' area. And that's not covered, so they will fly out anyway. I will start bringing them in at night, again, and see if that will at least get a few more to stay. Some are roosting on our deck railing, some in trees. It's not fun cleaning up the poop every day! LOL

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Can you post a picture of your coop and run, and tell us how many birds you have, total?

 

[Pennys Mama]

Mine really like the highest possible roosts. They'll use their "pecking order" to get the best spots. It may look like I have too many roosts, but they're all used, either as a ladder or ultimately a roost. I have about 70 chickens & guineas, all of them roost in the chicken house.

 

[TennesseeChicken]

Can you post a picture of your coop and run, and tell us how many birds you have, total?

I will tomorrow. Today has been a slow rain day.

 

[TennesseeChicken]

Mine really like the highest possible roosts. They'll use their "pecking order" to get the best spots. It may look like I have too many roosts, but they're all used, either as a ladder or ultimately a roost. I have about 70 chickens & guineas, all of them roost in the chicken house.
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That's awesome!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I will tomorrow. Today has been a slow rain day.

Yup, it has been raining here all day too. It's a lazy, sit-by-the-woodstove day.