I may have caused a problem....

[LynetteM]

This is my first time owning chickens and I believe I have made a few mistakes.. over the last month our temperatures have been dropping and we had several days of below freezing temperatures. We put a heat lamp in our coop for a couple of days and then I read that chickens don’t need heat lamps that they are able to stay warm with their down and feathers providing they are shielded from the elements. So we removed the heat lamp from the coop. Now they don’t go in the coop at dusk and they no longer roost on their bars. For the past 4 days we have had to round them up from the run. It’s like they don’t know what to do. I believe I have confused them. How do I fix this? Will they go back into the coop and roost again at dusk or will we have to continue to put them in there? I feel horrible that I messed up their routine.

I know what I have done with my babies due to the low lighting at the school is put a small non-heat lamp just to guide the way...My hope is that over this holiday break for Thanksgiving, that I can wean them off the light now that they are in a routine. worth a shot!

 

[#lovemychickens]

I agree they don't like change, but at the same time they will adapt. Don't beat yourself up, they will soon get over it.

Do you have a window so they can see to go to bed? Do hey have enough light outside, maybe form street lamps or a security lamp, that it stays light outside? It may be possible that by the time they are ready to go to bed it's too dark to see inside. A dim light on a timer may be the answer. Or more window.

I sometimes have to train birds to go into the coop at night. Since yours were roosting on the roosts before I'll assume they are a bit older than young chicks. I also assume it is all the chickens, not just a few. If it's just a few of them the whole situation changes. When I train them to go into the coop at night, I occasionally only have to do that once. Sometimes it takes three weeks for all of them to catch on. You've only been putting them in four days. Keep it up, they should catch on.

We have two windows in the coop but it’s like they stay outside until it’s too late to see to go in. Unfortunately it is all 8 of them that aren’t going in. They are 22 weeks old and just started laying on a regular basis. Could the laying have anything to do with it? I wouldn’t think so because they are using the boxes. I agree I think they didn’t like the change!

 

[PirateGirl]

I had this problem. I would turn on the lamp for 5-10 min at dusk/dark, then go back to check the girls. They would put themselves in the coop when the light was on. I'd lock the door behind them and turn off the light. Much better than chasing them. After a week or 2 of this I no longer needed to trick them with the light and they'd still go in on their own without it.

 

[lazy gardener]

Just my opinion, but I believe that chicks that were raised with MHP system are less prone to such foolishness. I'd like to ask, just for grins and giggles: those of you who have had issues with birds refusing to go to coop at dusk: were they brooded with heat lamp or with heat plate or MHP as chicks????

 

[apryl29]

Just my opinion, but I believe that chicks that were raised with MHP system are less prone to such foolishness. I'd like to ask, just for grins and giggles: those of you who have had issues with birds refusing to go to coop at dusk: were they brooded with heat lamp or with heat plate or MHP as chicks????

Mine were brooded w/ a heat lamp, but when I first put them into the coop they didn't have a run yet so they didn't go outside unless I let them outside. I never had a problem with them going inside at night. Once I blocked them in their run while I treated for mites and when it got dark several were huddled up by the door to the run b/c they knew they were supposed to go in, but couldn't get in.

 

[#lovemychickens]

I had this problem. I would turn on the lamp for 5-10 min at dusk/dark, then go back to check the girls. They would put themselves in the coop when the light was on. I'd lock the door behind them and turn off the light. Much better than chasing them. After a week or 2 of this I no longer needed to trick them with the light and they'd still go in on their own without it.

Would they go on the roost? Mine are staying on the floor once we put them in there. They used to go on the roost..

 

[#lovemychickens]

Just my opinion, but I believe that chicks that were raised with MHP system are less prone to such foolishness. I'd like to ask, just for grins and giggles: those of you who have had issues with birds refusing to go to coop at dusk: were they brooded with heat lamp or with heat plate or MHP as chicks????

Mine were brooded with a red heat lamp.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@lazy gardener what is mhp? Sorry, I am new to this and didn't get mine as chicks.

 

[lazy gardener]

Mother Heating Pad. It's a heating pad that can bypass the auto off switch, attached to a wire frame. The chicks go under it to get warmed up, much as they would with a broody hen. It facilitates good social development, provides a more natural brooding experience than the harsh 24/7 light of a heat lamp, and allows the chicks to more easily self regulate their heat needs. It's also much safer.

 

[PirateGirl]

Would they go on the roost? Mine are staying on the floor once we put them in there. They used to go on the roost..

Yes. When they were younger they had a ramp up to the roost, which helped, but they often slept in a corner. Eventually they started roosting on their own.