How Cold is Too Cold

[scjcb37]

I have new flock of 9 plus 2 of my old girls who are housed seperately. The new flock has taken over the large coop and run and we built a new smaller coop for the 2 older girls, as they DID NOT get on with each other. The newer flock pecked my one girl bloody and mercilessly, and the other older girl defended her the entire time, it was awful. I tried everything. My question to you is; The 2 older girls who have their own run and coop refuse to use the coop. They roost out in the snow all night! Is this ok? Why do they refuse to go in the coop? They always put themselves away when they were in the old run, now they refuse to go in the new coop. Any thoughts are appreiated. Thank You!

 

[Mrs. K]

Chickens get notions. When mine won't coop up at night, I just wait until they are sleeping, and then snatch them up and put them where I want them to be. So I would stick them in the coop, and shut the door. Then I would let them out in the morning.
A couple of times, and they should coop up themselves.

 

[saysfaa]

The author of a widely read chicken magazine the early 1900s wrote of chickens happily and healthily roosting in trees through the winter in New England. The only problem he saw with it is predator risk - from people. Evidently, the four-legged predators and flying predators were hunted down to pretty low numbers in that area at that time.

Still, I would feel much better with them in a coop. I would start with what is different about the new coop. Possibly, they just don't like change so putting them into it for a while is all that is needed. Possibly it is not comfortable in some way. If it is big enough, well ventilated (at least 1 sq ft open all the time), dry, the roost is wide enough but not too wide and has clearance all the way around it and above it, ...