My Chickens are Sleeping on My Steps!?

[NewChick7]

My husband built an amazing small coop(3 feet wide 5 feet long 4 feet high ). Inside he built about a 2 foot nesting spot off the ground for the chickens to lay their eggs when they mature more. They are 2.5 months and we have 4. I'm doing the deep litter method so their coup has poop in it but does not smell. The have a small pole to roost on (but I don't think they use it.) we also have a heat lamp in the coop for them. we have almost half an acre so I like to let them be free during the day. So with that info I would like know why my chickens end up on our back steps huddle together. We had to build a gate because they kept getting up on our deck that the stairs lead to and there was poop everywhere! Now there is poop all over the steps. I can't figure out why they won't snuggle in their coop instead of the stairs. Any ideas??

 

[azygous]

Because they're ingrates. Oh, who knows why chickens decide to do the dumb stuff they do?

If you want to train them to use the coop, you will need to teach them that it's their home. To accomplish that, you will have to coop them up for around 48 hours inside. After two days and nights, they should understand that it's where they are safe and that it's the best place for them to sleep at night.

Chickens have an natural instinct to find safe cover to sleep. Since you're going with their natural instinct, this shouldn't be very difficult. Report back with the results!

 

[NewChick7]

Thank you!! I will try to be more proactive with getting my chickens Ito their coop. I do find them in there during the day as well but for some reason the stairs is where they want to be!! Lol. Perhaps the want to roost?? Perhaps they know that is where the humans come out from?? I thought maybe there coop wasn't very inviting?? Lol

 

[azygous]

Food. Perhaps they know that food is apt to be coming down those steps. Chickens are very, very clever at figuring out where food comes from.

 

[shellyschicks]

Mine like to sit on our backdoor mat, they started laying a week ago and they use the nesting boxes in the coop. We left them in a very small run for the first 5 days, now they free range mostly.

My husband built an amazing small coop(3 feet wide 5 feet long 4 feet high ). Inside he built about a 2 foot nesting spot off the ground for the chickens to lay their eggs when they mature more. They are 2.5 months and we have 4. I'm doing the deep litter method so their coup has poop in it but does not smell. The have a small pole to roost on (but I don't think they use it.) we also have a heat lamp in the coop for them. we have almost half an acre so I like to let them be free during the day. So with that info I would like know why my chickens end up on our back steps huddle together. We had to build a gate because they kept getting up on our deck that the stairs lead to and there was poop everywhere! Now there is poop all over the steps. I can't figure out why they won't snuggle in their coop instead of the stairs. Any ideas??

 

[humphrey farms]

Food. Perhaps they know that food is apt to be coming down those steps. Chickens are very, very clever at figuring out where food comes from.

Mine sleep or roost on my steps where I go out to feed them. The picture reminds me of my back steps. EXCEPT mine usually has a dozen or more!!! Try getting that flock to move!!

 

[NewChick7]

Thanks for your inputs!!