My ten week old pullets cluster under the light and won't go in.

[HappyChickenMom]

My 10 week old pullets will clump under the light at night and won't go in the house I bought for them. I think they are scared because we have seen skunks in their pen (issue since resolved) and have also trapped an opossum (also dealt with). My hubby thinks they are cold. It has been pleasant here at night in Southern california and I have raised chickens before as a child so I am not a total newbie, My birds were raised by me since they were chicks and are otherwise very friendly, social and healthy. I let them out towards the end of the day to forage when I can be out to supervise them but they are secured in a run at night with a house for shelter. I wonder if I don't turn on the light will they go the house? I kept the light on at night so I could see them from my bedroom at night when we first put them out. I was like most members scared at first (of predators) and rightly so butI just don't know what to do.

 

[pipermark]

Chickens will go to light, they cant see well or at all in the dark so they feel safer in the light. You can coop train them , keep them in the coop for about 2 weeks, but they still might go to the light.

 

[gritsar]

Train them to the coop by locking them in for awhile and turn out the light once you start letting them out again.

 

[ChooksChick]

I have a light on a timer in my coop, and it goes on prior to dusk and out after dark.

Works well. It seems like that solves 90% of the "won't go in at night" problems.

 

[cmom]

I have a low watt red night light on in the coop for my birds. My big girls are two years old. My younger ones are a year old. My babies are 2 weeks old. It might not make any difference to them but it does to me. One night my big girls night light burnt out and when I went out in the pre-dawn to check on them they were all on the floor of the coop, so I promptly replaced the bulb. I went out the next early morning and they were all in their places on their roosts. I don't know if the light had anything to do with it or not but it made me feel better. My hens always go into the coop before dark. I use a 11 watt red sign light bulb for their night light. I figured out by my electric bill that it costs me about $3.00 a month to run 24/7..