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.

 

[Tlco]

Thank you for the affirmations and for the info on cooping them up for a few nights. I thought of that but problem is the coop is a starter coop from Tractor supply that was only temporary till I got the run built. I took the "run" off of it and placed the coop and nest box part up on a platform off the ground and built a door in the opening, there is a side door the opens for cleaning very wide that I leave open all the time for them to get inside coop. If I close them up in the house part they will not have any light at all inside the coop and not much room for feed and water it is just large enough for them to roost in and lay their eggs in the nesting boxes. Sorry it is Freezing rain and sleet today so no photos are available right now. This is a photo of the coop we had that I transformed.

 

[Percheron chick]

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

 

[Tlco]

Sorry any ideal how to put a night light in the coop should I close them up in the for a few days?

 

[Tlco]

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

One goes in a lays her eggs the other 2 don't non sleep in there. So one likes it and the other 2 don't. They came from the same breeder then used an old turkey barn with short ladder type roosts on the floor, no coop the entire barn was the coop with small pen sections for different age chicks and pullets.

 

[Percheron chick]

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

 

[Tlco]

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

Can the alpha be the youngest? She is 4 mo younger then they are and has just started laying this week. When I am home I never saw any sparing between any of them, but she does seam to be the "protector" of them as she will jump at me sometimes when I go in the run to tend them. So what would you suggest for the coop? It takes up one end of the run giving me just enough room to get in the door and walk around it. You think its too small for the 3 of them? The door on the side open all the time so there is plenty of room to get in and out the 3 of them could get out at one time and have room for 2 more to come out at the same time.

 

[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]

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.

Due to the weather I am home the next several nights maybe week. So my plan is to put them in each night and let them out in the mornings. I am single so this is all on me, no man to fix anything. We have some very very cold nights coming so I want them as safe as possible even if I have to put them in a dog create and bring them in at night. This is not normal weather for us at all. Dumb me for not being better prepared for this, got the coop light on order for next year anyway.


Night #1 I went and put them in the coop with plenty of pine shavings, I even fed them cracked corn right before it got dark gave then some time to eat it then put them up at dark and closed the door.