My chickens don't like my coop! What am I doing wrong?

[123RedBeard]

NFM

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[aart]

What's that mean?

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[123RedBeard]

It seems that the OP has a wet ground problem, which added to the not cleaning issue, that lead the chickens to choose other places to roost ...

If there are not other places on the property to move the coop to high ground, I still suggest making high ground ... with gravel, not dirt.

Anyone who builds a road or driveway puts down a gravel base/foundation to elevate the ground to maintain a dry area ... up north it prevents "frost heaves" ... down south it prevent "mud pits" ... well those too in the spring up north!

It is also possible that the possum harassed the chickens in the coop/run ... or is stealing eggs too ...

 

[SF-Tall-Girl]

You could try this feeder. It is good for small flocks.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C6U7K9U/?tag=backy-20

 

[chuckmama]

If you can lift the whole thing off the ground with the cinderblocks or whatever that would increase the airflow straight away. I am assuming from what I read that the outdoor enclosed area (the run) has the wired floor. Looks like they get plenty of yard time which makes the space they live in less of a problem but chickens do like to be up as high as possible to sleep and in a well ventilated but enclosed space. They do not like drafts so the ventilation should be above their heads or well below their feet. They like to feel secure at night if they are penned in. From the pics it looked to me like your roof leaks which is a problem. Chickens don’t wipe their feet so that space is wasted and you could also remove the divider between the two nests. It isn’t needed as they don’t mind sharing a nest. I would make that area just for roosting and just put a nest box in the run area. Just use a crate or tote of somekind and put some straw or other nesting medium in it.
If you own animals it is important to keep up with their care by making the environment as pleasant as possible. Otherwise they are like unkempt prisoners. Chickens are very inquisitive so give them so new things to play with. I didn’t read through the entire thread so I don’t know if you updated but much success with your girls. It’s nice that you reached out for help.

 

[Red Star Hens]

A solid floor will hold your bedding better. There are just a few things your birds need and a nice dry, secure place to stay at night is probably up at the top of your list.
I’m not a guru but have successfully been keeping chickens for some years now.
You can recycle pallets or something like that for wood if cost is an issue but that “house” needs to come off the ground ( holding too much moisture) and a solid floor. Get your food and water up off the ground as well even if just sitting on bricks or block.
There are countless ideas on here as well as all over the internet for coop ideas.
Time to go back to the drawing board my friend but this is how we learn. Stressed out or sickly chickens don’t lay very well or at all.
Good luck.

 

[bigz1983]

View attachment 1669668 View attachment 1669672

If I were you I would remove the wall that has that little pop door on the front.
Take the nesting box dividers right out and just make the whole enclosed part a open 3 sided coop.
Since you live in Texas and it doesn't get very cold and you don't get snow you don't need a fully enclosed with wood type coop.

 

[eartick]

The cord is for the light bulb in one of the nesting boxes. I stopped using it because I was told it doesn't get cold enough here in Austin, TX (the coldest nights get to maybe just below freezing)

Correct. After a chick becomes fully feathered there is not need for a heat lamp in this part of Texas.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

This is a very long thread and I am getting here late. I didn't read all of the posts but I see a multitude of posts saying to do this or do that.

To solve the problem of chickens not wanting to return to their coop at night the most important points are #1: They need a coop that is large enough. (Most backyard coops are designed and built way too small.) 4 to 5 square feet per bird is about right. #2 and most important, the coop must have plenty of ventilation both summer and winter.

After 47 years of raising backyard chickens I have never had a flock that didn't go back inside to roost at night and I have never had damp litter using those two principals.

 

[Corys chickens]

The first thing is your set up is all wrong your chicken coop should be bigger and off the ground and the floor should be wood with air holes for fresh air on the sides of .box size should be 4by4 feet .outside pen ten ft.by five ft. I know this will help

Even though there is fresh shavings, just a few days later I pick up the food feeder to refill it and there is white fuzz mold on the shavings underneath the feeder

My intuition is telling me this is the wrong design. The litter should be in an enclosed weather proof area. Because it rains a lot and it just gets all wet and nasty in there. I feel as if this whole thing needs to be lifted off the ground. I suspect the ground underneath the coop is now super nasty and is breeding bad insects. Because even though its new fresh shavings, there are still a few tiny gnats and other super tiny bugs crawling around.

This is my first time having chickens. When I started this a few months ago in November 2018 I had 3 chickens. About 2 weeks ago, a few days after I cleaned the coop with new shavings, Penelope was wheezing/sneezing. I went to work and bought VetRX. I come home, only 6 hours later, and she was near death. Her comb turned purple. I poured a few drops of the medicine in her mouth and this seemed to make it worse. And then right there in front of me she started flopping around and died on her back with her feet in the air It was a horrible experience and made me feel like a terrible human being.

Another thing I noticed was two of them had dark black oil spots near their comb on their head, which then progressed to a small bald spot. I'm pretty sure its from them scratching their itch. After I changed the litter, their bald spots grew back (new feathers with a lighter color).

I suspect they are not eating as much when the feeder is inside the coop, so I put their feeder outside the coop and they made a mess with food on the ground around the feeder. A few days later there is white fuzz mold on the ground where the food fell.[/QUOTE]