My chickens don't like their coop.

[daniellemarie]

I have four free-ranging 1.5 year old chickens and one 3 month old chick (who had a sister who died). This post is about my "older" chickens and their coop (https://www.wayfair.com/pet/pdp/aleko-multi-level-wooden-chicken-coop-alek2761.html.) I do a deep clean about once a month.

In the last 3 months, they've started hating their coop. They won't lay eggs in there. They won't sleep in there. I have to manually remove them off the roof of the coop (or some place else) and insert them into their coop.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Also - does anyone have any suggestions about what we might do to expand the size of the coop to accommodate the new chicken?

Thanks in advance.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Have you checked to make sure that there is not a mite infestation in the coop ?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Where are you located? I would guess it's hot and stuffy, and it's pretty close to the ground so the roosts are probably low. You may also want to check it for mites at night with a flashlight to make sure it isn't infested. It's also pretty small. Chickens don't like tight spaces.

 

[mopalia]

FWIW, my chicks didn't like their coop until I replaced the door with a screen door - they sleep piled together, refusing the perch, and looking out the screen window. It's been horribly hot here, and I think it was a ventilation issue. So you might try giving the some place they can look out and improve the ventilation, too.

 

[daniellemarie]

Welcome to BYC. Have you checked to make sure that there is not a mite infestation in the coop ?

Thank you! I've been lurking for about a year and I'm thankful to join the fam.

My chickens don't have any of the usual symptoms of mites, but i will do a more thorough check tomorrow. Thank you.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Mites

 

[daniellemarie]

FWIW, my chicks didn't like their coop until I replaced the door with a screen door - they sleep piled together, refusing the perch, and looking out the screen window. It's been horribly hot here, and I think it was a ventilation issue. So you might try giving the some place they can look out and improve the ventilation, too.

Thanks! I can definitely ventilate - we have two areas I can open tonight and then increase ventilation tomorrow.

 

[aart]

Ventilation for sure...... and... it's awfully small.

Welcome to BYC!
Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, then it's always there!

 

[CannedMonster]

4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run.

Ventilation is extremely important and should be up towards the roof away from the roosts.
Ventilation is necessary in summer and winter!
12” of roost space per bird.
Multiple roosts so lower ranking birds don’t get pecked by dominant birds.

They want to be high!
Instinct tells them it’s safer up higher.
My highest roost is 8 feet up.
Almost all of them go up there.

 

[daniellemarie]

Tha

4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run.

Ventilation is extremely important and should be up towards the roof away from the roosts.
Ventilation is necessary in summer and winter!
12” of roost space per bird.
Multiple roosts so lower ranking birds don’t get pecked by dominant birds.

They want to be high!
Instinct tells them it’s safer up higher.
My highest roost is 8 feet up.
Almost all of them go up there.

Then my coop is seriously inadequate. I will have to work on this.