INtroduction...

[phrog6901]

Hi everyone, This is the 1st time that I have raised chickens since I was very young and they are a hoot!!! I have 10 chickens that I purchased in February 2017, so they are not quit a year old . I have 5 Wyandottes and 5 Australorps. They each have their own distinct personality from Agnus (nosey), Georgette (bossy), Lucille Ball (drama), Baronass of Winchester (no tail feathers attacked by stray dogs), Phyllis Diller (hot mess). I found this forum soon after we bought our chicks, Lucy was displaying some weird behavior; couldn't hold her head up and toppling backwards. Turned out to be Rye Neck Syndrome, this forum helped me in nursing her back to health, today she is perfectly healthy!! We also have 3 dogs and 2 cats very busy house!
Our property is next to a cemetery and since my chickens free range when I'm home, they will, on occasion, meander over there. But the visitors really don't mind in fact they bring treats for them! I do keep them in the coop/run if a service is going on out of respect. Well I think that's it, hopefully you all can help me figure out my next delema; Why are some of my chickens refusing to go into the coop at night? I actually found 4 all huddled up outside the coop/run, in the open on a very cold evening!! What were they trying to do, sacrifice themselves to the coyotes? Hopefully I can get some answers, I don't want to lose any of my girls!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
How big is your coop? Have you checked at night to see if there are any mites in it? Not sure where you are in the world so don't know if mites are an issue for you at this time of the year.

 

[N F C]

Glad you're enjoying the flock, you have some great names for them! Good job on nursing Lucy back to health.

Thanks for joining us!

 

[BlueBaby]

Hello, and welcome! Have you checked to see if perhaps something is somehow getting into the coop at night that has them afraid to go in there?

 

[cassie123]

Welcome to backyard chickens!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

 

[feathermaid]

Welcome to BackYard Chickens!

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Great job helping your little chick get better! Glad you're enjoying you chickens!
There could be lots of reasons those few aren't going in... but let's see, ten chickens need a lot of roost space to be comfortable. And if you said they're not quite a year old yet (though birthday in feb 2017 would make them almost 2) they could just be getting bigger and don't fit as well as they used to. Pecking order is a big deal, and if the other hens want more space, those on the bottom will get booted out. They all will need a minimum of 10 linear feet of roost space (12" per chicken)... could be two 5 ft bars or three 3 ft bars, something to equal 10 feet or more, and be at least 12 inches apart and 12" from the wall. Remember, that's minimum. They actually need a bit more to have room to flap their wings and get up there:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need

Good luck with your flock!

 

[007Sean]

Howdy and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Thanks for joining us!

 

[alexa009]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens! We are glad you joined the flock! BYC is a helpful site providing all of the information you need to know about poultry. There is always space for more members on the BYC roost! I am happy to hear Lucy's health has revived and she is in good condition. Hope you enjoy it here as much as we all do!

 

[phrog6901]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
How big is your coop? Have you checked at night to see if there are any mites in it? Not sure where you are in the world so don't know if mites are an issue for you at this time of the year.