It's 34 degrees and my chickens won't go in the coop.

[ehoneybee]

Okay process of elimination. If the OP feels that the size of the coop is not the problem there could be something IN the coop that’s spooking them. Mites?
It really doesn’t take much for them to get spooked. They’re trying to tell you something. Gotta figure out what it is.

One of the 4 (my original one) always went in the coop but now she also sits outside with the others. Bad habits are spreading but even she goes inside if it's cold or raining.

 

[ehoneybee]

Can you post a pic of your coop and maybe we could help you improve the design so your birds sleep inside?

Sure. I'll do it tomorrow after I clean them .

 

[Viergacht]

Mine are doing the same thing at the moment - they're happy to lay eggs in their new coop but they would prefer to sleep either up in the big tree in the backyard or on the porch (which my sister prefers they don't, as the poop everywhere on it).

So far I've been luring them up onto the porch in the evening then carrying them out to the coop. They're only shut in at night and free range otherwise; the penny hasn't dropped in the slot yet but I'm hoping they figure it out as we've got snow coming.

 

[mbodamer]

for what its worth... i have a chicken cam in my coop so i can check on them and i noticed mine were not going in the coop or it actually seemed like they would be slow to go in the coop and some would then get stuck outside.

It seemed to me the coop was too dark, alot darker then the outside so I setup a 4' shop light on a wifi smart plug. about 30 min before sunset i turned on the light so as it got darker outside they saw the coop was lit up and they started going in there and when all were inside i turned off the light.

i did this for about a week and then i stopped using the light all together and now they start going inside a little earlier and are all tucked in before dark.

 

[ehoneybee]

for what its worth... i have a chicken cam in my coop so i can check on them and i noticed mine were not going in the coop or it actually seemed like they would be slow to go in the coop and some would then get stuck outside.

It seemed to me the coop was too dark, alot darker then the outside so I setup a 4' shop light on a wifi smart plug. about 30 min before sunset i turned on the light so as it got darker outside they saw the coop was lit up and they started going in there and when all were inside i turned off the light.

i did this for about a week and then i stopped using the light all together and now they start going inside a little earlier and are all tucked in before dark.

So weird. I thought they like darkness to sleep?

 

[mbodamer]

yes i am sure they do... I only used the light to encourage them to go into the coop as it got dark outside. when they were all inside the coop i turned the light off so they could sleep.

 

[ehoneybee]

Okay, so it sounds like I dont really need to do anything if they can stay outside all winter anyway. I mean, does it really matter if they roost outside? Is this a bad thing (other than predators)?

 

[jthornton]

Okay, so it sounds like I dont really need to do anything if they can stay outside all winter anyway. I mean, does it really matter if they roost outside? Is this a bad thing (other than predators)?

About 1/4 of my neighbors chickens roost in the trees year round. They just showed up one day a few years back and hang with the other chickens during the day. She calls them her wild bunch.

JT

 

[ehoneybee]

About 1/4 of my neighbors chickens roost in the trees year round. They just showed up one day a few years back and hang with the other chickens during the day. She calls them her wild bunch.

JT

So if they can survive winters (I'm in the northeast) outside then why is there so much information on shoring up the coop for winter?

By the way, it was the coldest it's been yesterday (30) and whaddayaknow all in the coop! Even the hens from the other coop came over. Probably to keep warm

 

[jthornton]

So if they can survive winters (I'm in the northeast) outside then why is there so much information on shoring up the coop for winter?

My guess is most people think chickens need the same comforts they do while ignoring that chickens come with a built in wind block and a down blanket. Providing a draft free place for them to sleep is a plus in colder climates. Have you ever seen a chicken disappear into itself? It's so neat to see the legs and feet disappear into the down and then the whole head goes under a wing and there is nothing left but a ball of feathers. And of course most of us love our chickens and want the to have the best life they can so we spoil them to no end. I have 8 RIR hens and know each one by name...

JT