Littles won't stay in the coop.

[hen1415]

We have three littles that we've had since July, they are a Salmon Faverolles, a Cuckoo Marans, and a Sapphire Gem. They are fully integrated with our three bigs, a 10 yo Buff Orpington, an 8 year old Jersey Giant, and a 1 year old Speckled Sussex. They all get along well. The Jersey Giant will occasionally chase the littles away from treats, but they are all getting along normally.

The problem is, the littles want to roost out in the run. They have a 4.5 foot roost in the coop that is unused by the bigs, who have their own roost. If I put them up in the coop at night, the Sapphire Gem will hop on the bigs' roost, but the Faverolles and Marans will make their way to the pop door or back outside. We live in MN and are heading into a cold snap (like below zero F) and I worry about them. The run is covered in plastic so there is no wind. The coop doesn't have heat, but it stays about 10 degrees warmer than outside.

I hate to move the littles after they've settled because they're all warm and puffy and I feel bad putting them inside on a cold roost. Do you think they are ok being outside? I've never had chickens that do this! They will go in the coop during the day. The Sapphire Gem started laying last week and she is always up there piddling around in the nest. I am just worried that they're going to freeze.

Any information from cold weather keepers would be much appreciated.
Jen

 

[sourland]

Can you remove whatever they are roosting on out in the run?

 

[room onthebroom]

Chickens are good sleepers & will go right back to sleep. Keep moving them to the safe zone. They will get it eventually.

 

[Tonyroo]

They will stay in the coop if you have a bright night light.

I'm actually using a rechargeable flat camping light that's dimmable for my coop. Because I have a crippled young rooster that falls off the roost a lot. He can get back on with a dim light in the coop.

 

[hen1415]

Can you remove whatever they are roosting on out in the run?

I appreciate your suggestion! Tonight I put them in the coop and removed the roost from the run. Hopefully that will give them the clue to go in at night.

 

[hen1415]

Chickens are good sleepers & will go right back to sleep. Keep moving them to the safe zone. They will get it eventually.

Thank you, I will keep putting them in. They seemed to settle down pretty quickly tonight.

 

[hen1415]

They will stay in the coop if you have a bright night light.

I'm actually using a rechargeable flat camping light that's dimmable for my coop. Because I have a crippled young rooster that falls off the roost a lot. He can get back on with a dim light in the coop.

Thank you, I don't want to put a light in the coop for now because the littles are such busy bodies, they'd never sleep. If I keep the flood light on from the house, they will be up digging around in the coop shavings just from the light coming in the pop door. I swear, I've never had such a crazy batch of littles.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I disagree with the suggestion of a light. Once you put them where you want them to roost for the night, make sure it is pitch dark! If they can't see, they'll stay put, and after they wake up on the coop roosts about three mornings in a row, they should start going to roost there on their own. IME, anyway. Good luck!

 

[hen1415]

Can you remove whatever they are roosting on out in the run?

Thank you, sourland, that did the trick! The littles now go in and roost at night. Well, except for the Faverolles, who sits in the pop door. But she's well feathered and at least she's not in the run. LOL!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you, sourland, that did the trick! The littles now go in and roost at night. Well, except for the Faverolles, who sits in the pop door. But she's well feathered and at least she's not in the run. LOL!

That's progress, but ... if she is "IN" the pop door, does that mean it stays open all night? Does that mean the coop - and the chickens - is accessible to predators?