My hens almost 1 yr old and sleep on the ground, help.

[Tlco]

Hello, I have 3 hens, 2 of my hens are about 1 yr old (first winter), the other hen just started laying. The 2 older ones lay on the ground, oddly enough the younger one goes into the coop to lay in the nest. They live in a covered run with a nice coop inside, since I have only the 3 hens space in not the problem.There run is 24 w x 48 L x 12 h with a small house inside spacious enough for the 3 girls but not too big, there is a roost inside the coop and plenty of bedding for them and even 3 nesting boxes should they wish to use them there is also 2 roost inside the run and nesting boxes. (Ice & rain this week pictures not available)

During he summer I tried to train them to go inside their coop at night to sleep and roost, but with COVID and long hours at work (I am a nurse) I was not consistent at putting them inside their coop every night and just let them sleep in a pile on the ground inside the run, since there are no predators and I thought it would be natural for them to go inside the coop or to get on the roost. The problem now is it is getting colder here in central Texas (which does not last long a few days at a time at most maybe a week). The run is only a run and has very little wind breaks. To try to help them stay warmer I have added tarps to 2 corners of the run and dumped in several bags of pine shavings to give them something for them to "pile" up in and keep warm. COVID is still running amuck, I am still running crazy at work this was not my plan when I got them but how it turned out.

Will they learn to get in the coop, or on the roost on their own? Should I make a better attempt to "train" them? Should I be worried? Is it too cold on the ground for them? Should I just leave them alone maybe put in a warming light in the corner where they sleep (read a 60w would at least bring the temp up a few degrees, heat lamp was not recommended)?

 

[azygous]

At this point, it would be easiest to coop them up for a couple of days, say and night, so that they will imprint on the coop as headquarters. For the first night they are on their own again, put a dim light in the coop so they can see what they're doing and where they're going. After a couple of nights with the night light, they should be finding their way in on their own.

You have all my admiration and gratitude for putting yourself on the front line in dealing with this hideous virus. I hope someday soon, your life, and ours, will be back to normal.

 

[Percheron chick]

Usually this behavior is a direct result of the coop. They are telling you that they don't like something in there.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you leave that side door on the coop open 24/7? Just trying to figure out how dark and/or stuffy it gets in there, if they were to go in.

Coop is definitely not big enough to be locking them inside to home them to it.

Honestly with your set up, I might consider just leaving them be, as long as you're fine with them being in the run all night. Your cold spell is short and it sounds like you've tried to set up some windbreaks to help them shelter for the duration of it.

 

[Percheron chick]

The coop is 100% the problem. The one who does use it is the alpha hen.

 

[Percheron chick]

Any hen can be there alpha. Even a bantam in a flock of standards.
Did you leave the roofed structure? It would be simple to pull the wall with the cutout and enclose the entire area. Take some pictures when you get a chance. Easier to make recommendations when we know what the starting point is as you've already made some changes.

 

[Tlco]

Do you leave that side door on the coop open 24/7? Just trying to figure out how dark and/or stuffy it gets in there, if they were to go in.

Coop is definitely not big enough to be locking them inside to home them to it.

Thank you for your suggestions. Big side door is open 24/7 (although tonight and the next few I will shut the door at night) it is really just for shelter. We are expecting 5 degree temps tomorrow and the 1 degree after that very unusual for this part of Texas. Temps are not expected to go up above freezing till after this coming Thursday. I filled the top with soft pine shavings today. I am not planning on them living in the coop, just want them to go up there at night. I have seen some smaller "coops" and since I only have 3 hens and they pile on-top of each-other anyway I was hoping the little "coop" house was big enough for that. Again there is 2 roosts in it and 3 nest that stick out the back side of it. Not sure how to make it better.

I am really just trying to get them to get off the wet/cold ground and go up there just at night to help keep them sheltered. They will not roost next to the run door or the corners where I have hung tarps, then insist on sleeping on the ground right out in the windy coop next to the chicken wire.

I put them up in the coop right after dark tonight and will let them out about 7am in the morning giving fresh water feed and corn. When I picked them up and put them in the coop they had been laying where the rain and sleet had accumulated on the ground inside the run..hence the wet cold ground.

If I can just get past this winter I might can have my handyman come do something different this spring. Thank you again to everybody that give suggestions.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I put them up in the coop right after dark tonight and will let them out about 7am in the morning giving fresh water feed and corn. When I picked them up and put them in the coop they had been laying where the rain and sleet had accumulated on the ground inside the run..hence the wet cold ground.

That should work fine, since you mentioned being available to put them in/let them out. Definitely don't want them lying on the wet ground with this unusually cold weather.

Honestly not sure what else to suggest about the set up. While it's not a big coop if you generally leave it open that addresses some of ventilation and brightness inside, so I would expect them to at least go inside and then sleep on the floor or in the nests, at the very least.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Ok so I thought about it and I came up with a better solution. 250watt ceramic heating bulbs. You could put them in the coop with the ceramic brooder lamps.

They really, really don't need heat in the OPs temperatures. It's a bigger risk if you provide heat, the heat suddenly cuts out (i.e. power outage), and the birds die from the abrupt drop in temperature.

Also OP's birds don't even want to use the coop at all, though they can clearly get up there and do so, which to me is a a tougher one to figure out.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Cochins are pretty cold hardy so it probably bothers you more than them that they're sleeping on the ground. I had the same battle with mine, she was super stubborn when it came to my roosts! Mine refused to use the 2" boards and until I offered a 4" alternative I lost every battle. I didn't realize until I put in the coop cam just how ungraceful my cochin was, so it totally made sense why she was adamantly refusing the narrower options! Might not be the same issue with your girls, but I figured I'd mention my solution in case it was helpful, my coop is much larger though so I don't know if it would be possible for you to switch a roost in yours. They really shouldn't be allowed to sell those prefab coops, way to many people with the right intentions being led astray with all the wrong information they put on the box!