My hens.....I need a few questions answered please!

[theRURALgirl]

Hello good people! I was on here about 5 nights ago and got some advice on getting my girls to roost in there new coop (they love the paddock fence). Tonight is night 4 that we have had to physically (after dark) put them in their coop. No biggie but I am concerned they not go in on there own ever. Is there something else I should do? Also, they just started laying eggs last week, it's slow but steady, however one of my hens is laying eggs in our garage on a table. What do I do about that? She knows where her nesting boxes are, I have actually put them all in their nesting boxes and someone is laying in there.

Is this normal?

Thanks!!!!

 

[LarryPQ]

Yes, it is normal.

If you want them to think of the coop as home, you need to keep them locked in there for a week or two. No free-ranging. It is too hot to do that right now, so you may have to put up with chicken hunting for a while.

This will also encourage them to lay in the nesting boxes---but a golf ball in the nest will also help tehm get the right idea.

 

[slurrywidow]

As for putting themselves to bed....

I used to think mine would never put themselves to bed either but after I kept them locked up for about a week like was suggested, I now have no problems. I even have two separate coops and I let them all out to free range together on 7 acres but at night, to my surprise, they all go back to their proper coops and put themselves to bed. Amazing and fun birdies. Love my ladies!

 

[theRURALgirl]

Ohhh lock them up, didn't even occure to me. But yes, I will have to wait as we have been in the 3 digits for a month now. They will hate it for sure, but it will have to be done. The good thing is they all go up on the fence at 8pm so I don't have to hunt them down. LOL

Is there a way, whent he weather gets cooler to let them free range and then maybe an hour before they roost locke them up. I would hate to lock them up all day for a week or two.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Do they have a run attatched to their coop? When we finished building our new coop last year we left them locked in the coop/run for only a few days. The coop is 10 by 12 and the run is 19 by 22 ft so plenty of space. That did the trick for us. Now they would much rather hang out inside the coop then free range in the yard! LOL

 

[theRURALgirl]

No we do not have a real run, we have chicken coop surrounding it just to keep my 19 month old twins from getting to close to coop til they understand it's not a playhouse. LOL But part of it is attached to my horses paddock so they come and go thru there. I can try and close that part off for a few days and see what happens but it's only 3 feet tall, I am not sure if they would try and fly over.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Hello! Glad to see you've joined us - Do you have roosts in the highest area of your coop? Chickens like to roost outside their nests at night. If you watch them, they will each try to reach the highest spot.

 

[theRURALgirl]

Yes the roosts inside the coop are high but they got used to being in the barn before the coop was built so they roost on the paddock fence. They will go in ther coop to eat, drink and lay eggs (except for one) but by 8pm they are jumping on that fence.

 

[Newbie in Screamer Al]

I had the same problem when I started with my birds too. I was advised to put a light in the coop, and that did it. They are afraid of going into something they cannot see a possible danger in. I leave the light on 24/7 now, and they took 2-3 days of me putting them in the lighted coop, but all go in on thier own now. I leave the pop door open 24/7 now too because of the heat. My birds do not free range, but have a 12 by 24 ft. run attached to the coop as you can see in my pic. I have a box fan in the coop 24/7 as well. The light I use is just a plug in night lite. Hope this helps.. R

 

[theRURALgirl]

Oh a light, that is clever. I have to try something, I really want them in that coop at night especially when the weather turns. I will just be as patient as I can be and try all these suggestions and see which on works for them. Thank you guys so much!!!!