Hurricane flipped coop, now chickens wont sleep in nesting area at night.

[Chicken Heel]

As a final note, and thank you @BigBlueHen53 , yes I have a [BYC Educator] tag. I like to believe it was earned mostly for my knowledge about how to feed our little dinosaurs.

I know a bit about coop building, a bit about architecture, a bit about zoning - all from doing it in the "real world", various jobs over the years.

Chicken behaviors is my weakest subject, of those I routinely comment on. My advice is based on 4 1/2 years, with flock sizes from 20 to near 100, various breeds, but mostly barnyard mutts. If it has value to you, please make use of it. But understand the limits of my experience - "BYC Educator" doesn't mean I always have the best opinion, just an honest one of sometimes value.

Very best w/ your birds!

I am reminded of this quote by Hubert Davis just after he was named the UNC basketball coach on 4/5/2021:

“The truly great people build their authority, wisdom, power and goodness through humility. And wield it all with humility.”

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I am reminded of this quote by Hubert Davis just after he was named the UNC basketball coach on 4/5/2021:

“The truly great people build their authority, wisdom, power and goodness through humility. And wield it all with humility.”

I was recently reminded of the limits of my knowledge (different subject). Not to worry, I'll be back to my normal, rarely humble, self soon!

Have a great weekend!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

am a bit curious if anybody else was damaged by Hurricane helene.

@Wyorp Rock and @Miss Lydia both live in WNC and were blessed to have escaped injury and (I believe) serious damage. But their areas were hard hit. Miss Lydia lost power and can only occasionally get internet service, I believe. We hear from Wyorp Rock a little more frequently but both they and their communities can still use good thoughts and prayer.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh my goodness so sorry your chickens had to go through that. I hope they soon recover. Thank the Lord my flock was spared any kind of trauma along with our home and my dh and I. can't say the same for everyone else around us though we live along a mountain river that is usually very quiet and low not a high volume of water river at all until Helene it rose around 20-22' and did a number on our county here in Western NC. Roads washed completely away homes and outbuildings gone many dead along with livestock and pets. We haven't had power since the morning of Sept 27 and have no idea when we will. Many are still stranded because their bridges got washed away. The National Guard has been dropping food and other things by helicopter. We have seen so many come with all kinds of help from food to any essentials you could ask for. Even volunteers working to clear roads and property. It has been an awful diaster but I cannot ever thank God enough for sparing us. My flock never knew what happened other than they couldn't go to the largest part of their property because the mountain came down and took out their fencing.
I hope and pray every one who went through this is recovering and that it will make us stronger as a people. I agree about getting your chickens in the evening so they can feel that their security has returned. Let us know how it goes.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Oh my goodness so sorry your chickens had to go through that. I hope they soon recover. Thank the Lord my flock was spared any kind of trauma along with our home and my dh and I. can't say the same for everyone else around us though we live along a mountain river that is usually very quiet and low not a high volume of water river at all until Helene it rose around 20-22' and did a number on our county here in Western NC. Roads washed completely away homes and outbuildings gone many dead along with livestock and pets. We haven't had power since the morning of Sept 27 and have no idea when we will. Many are still stranded because their bridges got washed away. The National Guard has been dropping food and other things by helicopter. We have seen so many come with all kinds of help from food to any essentials you could ask for. Even volunteers working to clear roads and property. It has been an awful diaster but I cannot ever thank God enough for sparing us. My flock never knew what happened other than they couldn't go to the largest part of their property because the mountain came down and took out their fencing.
I hope and pray every one who went through this is recovering and that it will make us stronger as a people. I agree about getting your chickens in the evening so they can feel that their security has returned. Let us know how it goes.

Glad you are still with us. I've backpacked that country - its beautiful, the few people I met resourceful and resilient. Wish they had been spared this.

 

[SourRoses]

I was recently reminded of the limits of my knowledge (different subject).

What? Impossible!


But for what it's worth, I agree with everyone saying to pick them up after dark and stick them in. My experience with that is mainly raising tons of groups of juveniles over the years, some needing "help" to go to bed for much longer than others. All avoidable when using a broody mom.
Side note: If you can get your hands on a couple hens who have not gone through the same experience, they will use the roosts without issue and your others will follow them right in.

Many, many years ago we went to a horsemanship clinic with John Lyons.
(I like to compare chickens and horses because they're both prey animals with heightened fear responses and social flock / herd reliance)
Anyway, there he was in the ring with a blind horse who had lost his sight in a terrible accident.
He sent that horse all over the ring, through obstacles, loaded onto a trailer, etc.
And I remember him standing there explaining that to you or I, losing sight or losing a limb is something we humans would grieve about. We'd get frustrated every time we tried to do something and our body didn't work like it used to.
But to an animal, as emotionally complex as they may be, they don't spend effort on those thoughts. Their main concern is safety, so once you get them past the fear they can go back to living their life without ruminating over the past.
I just thought that was interesting.
For social animals... it's really all about those bonds. Someone else doing something and staying safe is all they need to feel better about it. And once they're not scared anymore, you don't need to worry about their past trauma.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

So Hurricane Helene came through our town in SC. Destroyed alot, including flipping my 1000 pound chicken coop while my chickens were in their sleeping/nesting area. Luckily it wasnt TERRIBLY damaged. But it Killed 2, trapped 1, and flung the other 2 out. Leaving them vulnerable for the next few hours. The 3 survivors were not harmed much if at all. But I'm POSITIVE it was very traumatizing. Now, they'll go in the run at night (they're free range during the day). They'll even go in the nesting area to lay eggs. But they will NOT stay in the nesting area. It's now getting down into the low 30s at night. Lower soon. Im afraid they would rather freeze to death instead of going into their heated nesting box now because it was so traumatizing. What should I do? I love my chickens and my whole family is upset enough about losing 2. What can I do?? PLEASE HELP!!!

I'm so sorry to hear about your hens and coop.
I hope you and your family are o.k.

You've been given good suggestions about putting the hens in the coop, hopefully they will soon feel safe to spend the night in there.

We did suffer damage and flooding, some places worse than others. I'm very blessed, I did have a lot of trees down on my property, some flooding and minimal repairs to make. Our power and most communications have been restored here. My area is pretty much back in business except for areas completely flooded out.

Many in WNC, TN, SC, GA, FL, etc., were hit hard and suffered great damage and sadly loss of life. It's been a heartbreaking time but also a time full of blessings, God's grace and a time to see the outpouring of love and community that still exists in this wonderful country we live in.

 

[PICKSTER]

Thank you for the reply! However I'm unable to get close without them waking because of the coop set up. I have However been picking them up and putting them in. But they just keep coming out. It hasn't helped yet. Should I not l et them free range for a few days? What else would you suggest?

Get an automated chicken door. Once it closes they can't get out until sunrise when it opens automatically. I use the Run-Chicken product and it's easy to set up and use. Repeat putting them in at night like has been already mentioned. The auto door will keep them from getting out at night. Good luck!

 

[Squawkers]

I agree that the chickens should be locked in at night. People have said that chickens will stay in if you put them in after dark, but that has not been my experience. I had 2 hens that absolutely refused to go in their coop. NOTHING worked. I would put them in the coop five times a night, sometimes staying up after midnight. They just kept coming back out and sleeping in the ground. I finally (because of that and other reasons) just got a new coop. It wasn’t until then that they started putting themselves up at night.

 

[NameIwish]

So Hurricane Helene came through our town in SC. Destroyed alot, including flipping my 1000 pound chicken coop while my chickens were in their sleeping/nesting area. Luckily it wasnt TERRIBLY damaged. But it Killed 2, trapped 1, and flung the other 2 out. Leaving them vulnerable for the next few hours. The 3 survivors were not harmed much if at all. But I'm POSITIVE it was very traumatizing. Now, they'll go in the run at night (they're free range during the day). They'll even go in the nesting area to lay eggs. But they will NOT stay in the nesting area. It's now getting down into the low 30s at night. Lower soon. Im afraid they would rather freeze to death instead of going into their heated nesting box now because it was so traumatizing. What should I do? I love my chickens and my whole family is upset enough about losing 2. What can I do?? PLEASE HELP!!!

chickens live in trees at night here (Western, NC Foothills) They're designed for life al fresco. 'Don't,' you should pardon the phrase, 'sweat it.'