My Chickens REFUSE To Coop Themselves At Night. PLEASE HELP ME>

[WRVgirl]

My 2 6 month old BOs have recently decided that they DO NOT want to sleep in their coops anymore...every single night it's a complete struggle to catch them and physically carry them to the coop...and when I do, they freak out.

At first, my husband thought that they were spooked by something in the coop so I checked and there were nothing in there [our yard is fully fenced and luckily other than rabbits and squirrels I haven't encountered anything else so far.]

The next night, he suggested that I shine the spot light at their coops...they are trying to sleep on the back deck on my windowsill where the spot light shines at night. So I moved the lights so that they flood the backyard rather than the deck.

Still, they won't coop.

I don't know what's going on, they have a nice, clean, draft free coop and they are refusing to use it.

I would just let them stay out, but they poop up the place and it's a pain to hose down my whole deck every morning.

What can I do?????
There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for them to refuse to go in there. I can't keep carrying the chickens to their beds at night, this is so frustrating.

Please help.

 

[1muttsfan]

Keep them in the coop for a week or so, to establish the habit of sleeping there. Do not let them out of the coop for that time, then once you do start letting them out call them into the coop with treats an hour or so before dark.

 

[Junaleefarm]

No real help here- we have 10 or so chickens that never sleep in the coop. They generally sleep in the trees even when it rains or snows, we finally just gave up and left them alone. I do believe if you lock them in the coop like muttsfan suggests it should work. This will also work if your chickens won't lay in their nesting boxes.

 

[WRVgirl]

This is a new behavior though...they used to coop themselves but have recently stopped...does that make a difference?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

This is a new behavior though...they used to coop themselves but have recently stopped...does that make a difference?

My dad has some hens that periodically need a refresher. They start roosting in the trees, the hay mow, etc. Then he has to catch them and move them into the coop, and lock them in for two weeks. Then they coop up nicely for six months, and then they start roosting in the trees again... Maybe your hens need a refresher?

Anyway, it won't hurt them to stay cooped up for a week or two, especially since they'll be a lot safer if they sleep in their coop than on the windowsill.

 

[WRVgirl]

It's so typical.

I wrote this post, and tonight, like good little hens, they follow te rest of the flock into the coop!!!

Aaaaarrg. They're such frustrating animals.

I guarantee, had I not made the post, they'd be sleeping on the porch!! Lol

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Have you dusted the coop for mites/lice. I have heard that that can cause them to not want to sleep in the coop.

 

[WRVgirl]

Have you dusted the coop for mites/lice. I have heard that that can cause them to not want to sleep in the coop.

Yes, both coop and chickens get sprayed weekly when I change the bedding.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:

 

[WRVgirl]

Yeah, that's how I feel.

Stubborn chickens. Hopefully they go in again tonight.