My chickens don't want to go into their coop at night

[rugbyusa]

Have you stuck your head in there at bedtime to make sure it's not still too warm from the daytime heat, it can take a long time to cool off the inside of the coop as aart said.

I actually haven't done that. I will do that tonight and see, or feel how it is. I didn't even think of that. ill post an update later tonight.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

In a warmer climate like yours I might go with a three sided coop so the side that is away from any prevailing weather is hardware cloth, at least part of it, chickens have more trouble with heat than cold, a totally enclosed coop in your climate might not be good, a lot of talk of coops on this site is for places like I'm in, Wisconsin, or the middle of the country, California is a way different place to keep chickens and I'm only aware of your weather from tv, talking about drafts and ventilation here is different than you, you probably want drafts because it's warm, but maybe you'll school me on your weather, I'm sure Bay Watch, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, weren't totally accurate. I will wait to hear about your coop temperature.

 

[rugbyusa]

In a warmer climate like yours I might go with a three sided coop so the side that is away from any prevailing weather is hardware cloth, at least part of it, chickens have more trouble with heat than cold, a totally enclosed coop in your climate might not be good, a lot of talk of coops on this site is for places like I'm in, Wisconsin, or the middle of the country, California is a way different place to keep chickens and I'm only aware of your weather from tv, talking about drafts and ventilation here is different than you, you probably want drafts because it's warm, but maybe you'll school me on your weather, I'm sure Bay Watch, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, weren't totally accurate. I will wait to hear about your coop temperature.

well the weather is wierd this year because of the El Nino coming, rat I'd a discussion for another day though. Anyway. Just put then away and as usual they were on that darn bbq. So as requested I took the temperature of the inside of the coop. My thermometer reads 73. Outside is cool and when I put my head in there it did feel a bit on the warm side. But I'm not covered in feather so the heat may be the problem. Any thoughts?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's a bit warm but not that warm,at that temperature I'm thinking they are pulling the teenager thing of wanting to do what they want, keep after them, they should stop after a bit. Perhaps you could put something on the bbq so they can't get on it, or something that would freak them out like a flapping flag, to make them think about the coop again, naughty kids. Just make sure there's enough ventilation, and who knows maybe they are afraid of the dark.

 

[crazy4chix]

Go out and put them in the coop BEFORE they start even thinking about going to the BBQ. Entice them with a treat that you put inside the coop. You might have to do this for a week or more. Chickens sometimes take awhile to learn new things. Then put the treat in the coop a little while before it gets dark and they should catch on.

 

[kilby]

Go out and put them in the coop BEFORE they start even thinking about going to the BBQ. Entice them with a treat that you put inside the coop. You might have to do this for a week or more. Chickens sometimes take awhile to learn new things. Then put the treat in the coop a little while before it gets dark and they should catch on.

Corn on the cob probably works. I have draft from spaces in the walls of the greenhouse turned coop but I also have big windows I can open and close. If you can put a min/max thermometer in there to see what the temp is doing and a hydrometer you will be surprised how hot it gets after they go to sleep. They throw off a lot of heat themselves I've read. Humidity is the bad one though.
What do you mean by some holes? You got to have window size drafts to control like a damper.

 

[rugbyusa]

The only reason why I wouldn't want to use treats to get then in the coop is only because I don't want them to get used to it. But if this goes on for much longer I might just use the treats. And yes I thought the temp was a bit warm. And I do have a flag so I might put that on the bbq. And luckily tonight I just took them off the bbq and placed them in the front of the coop door and they volentarily went in. Maybe this is the backend of this whole situation. And the holes I just drilled into all 4 sides of the coop. I also made the roof with those plastic panels and keft it open for that reason. It's going to be getting colder in my neck of the woods in a month or so. So we will see if it keeps on till then.

 

[aart]

Do you have a run attached to coop?
I'd confine them for a few days to a week, until the get back in the habit of roosting in the coop.

 

[rugbyusa]

Do you have a run attached to coop?
I'd confine them for a few days to a week, until the get back in the habit of roosting in the coop.

no run they are free to wander around the backyard