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

Easier to make recommendations when we know what the starting point is as you've already made some changes.
Totally forgot I had these photos from this summer. The girls are in the photo too.

That wood create has been taken out and is no longer in there I was using it for in injured hen during the day but she did not make it. There is 2 small roosts in the house and 3 nest. They can't get to the bottom of the house as it is set up for chicks. There is a ladder now for them to get up in the coop and a 5 gal pail turned over that they can also jump on and get inside. They do not have any trouble getting up there and there is plenty of pooh on that ledge now to show they get up there. The run is fully enclosed as I live in the city also there is only 3 hens. I am now using the deep litter method, was just adding as needed during the summer but now its much deeper.
 

Attachments

  • 20200905_120936.jpg
    20200905_120936.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 24
  • 20200905_120918.jpg
    20200905_120918.jpg
    970.4 KB · Views: 23
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Night #2 They will be going in the coop by hand a little later on.

These are photos from my back door looking at the run, there is a tarp on the left side to give a wind break can't see if from this angle.
 

Attachments

  • 137676395_1003203816872342_7564120907031583200_n.jpg
    137676395_1003203816872342_7564120907031583200_n.jpg
    38.1 KB · Views: 22
  • 138184562_1003203750205682_6784690041018988542_n.jpg
    138184562_1003203750205682_6784690041018988542_n.jpg
    44.9 KB · Views: 20
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.
Hello. May I suggest putting down some heated tile inside a couple enclosed nesting boxes that is weather proof. That way you can clean it off and your hens are kept warm. I apologize. I was just scanning real quick. What breed are they? They may just be comfortable laying where they are.
 
What breed are they? They may just be comfortable laying where they are.
Hello thank you for the suggestion. Are you talking about just regular tile or is this something a can buy? I have 2 Self Blue Cochin hens and 1 Brabanter hen, had 2 Brabanters but one fell ill during this summer and did not make it. Thank you again will look into doing something better heat wise, asap. This type of weather is not the norm for us, so it came on me without warning.
 
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. Far enough above your hens so they do not get over heated or it be a possible fire hazard. I buy them on eBay really cheap.
That seems to be the safest and most cost effective way to solve that problem. It is a system I use. I hope this helps. Also if you put some hay in the bottom of the nesting boxes. That will insulate them and prevent heat loss. Please let me know what you decide to do. I am always looking to expand my knowledge. I am new to the chicken farming game.
If you still want to do the heated tile thing. I can help you design that as well. I just think my second solution is better for the short term.
 
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.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom