Need help. First dead chicken.

[Kiki]

We are on a cattle farm outside Houston. Thank you for all your help. We are making some changes tomorrow. You can't tell but the entire coop is reinforced with hardware cloth. I think you are right and is too dark and scary for them.

I am in Houston.
They aren't going in there because it is TOO HOT.

I have an open air coop...my coop is almost all hardware cloth/open because it is too hot down here.

It will NEVER get too cold down here for our birds, I promise.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Awesome. Let us know how it goes.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I am in Houston.
They aren't going in there because it is TOO HOT.

I have an open air coop...my coop is almost all hardware cloth/open because it is too hot down here.

It will NEVER get too cold down here for our birds, I promise.

OP is in Houston, MO, not Texas.

 

[murrychicken]

Free-choice oyster shell is a good thing, and necessary for layers.

Hello from SE MO. Poplar Bluff area. Where are you, around Willow Springs? My guess is the chickens stick their heads in to roost up there around dusk and hesitate to go in because it's dark and scary. Letting in a little ventilation and ambient light by adding some screened (or hardware cloth) openings along the top should really help, along with maybe replacing the steps with a ramp. Otherwise your setup looks really nice. As @coach723 said, it's hard to tell what kind of fencing you have all around your run, though. Hardware cloth is the safest. (I think it was Coach.... my memory is not what it used to be.)

We are on a cattle farm outside Houston. Thank you for all your help. We are making some changes tomorrow. You can't tell but the entire coop is reinforced with hardware cloth. I think you are right and is too dark and scary for them.

I am in Houston.
They aren't going in there because it is TOO HOT.

I have an open air coop...my coop is almost all hardware cloth/open because it is too hot down here.

It will NEVER get too cold down here for our birds, I promise.

We are Houston, Missouri. Is getting down in the 30's at night this week. I think I don't realize how cold chickens can get and still be comfortable.

 

[Kiki]

OP is in Houston, MO, not Texas.

O m g. My bad and thank you.
I was about to have a heart attack.... The birds would die in that coop here in Houston, TX from a heat stroke.

 

[Kiki]

Don't laugh.

 

[murrychicken]

O m g. My bad and thank you.
I was about to have a heart attack.... The birds would die in that coop here in Houston, TX from a heat stroke.

lol everyone here is so helpful. You are appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Kiki]

We are on a cattle farm outside Houston. Thank you for all your help. We are making some changes tomorrow. You can't tell but the entire coop is reinforced with hardware cloth. I think you are right and is too dark and scary for them.

We are Houston, Missouri. Is getting down in the 30's at night this week. I think I don't realize how cold chickens can get and still be comfortable.

. I am sorry. I didn't notice that you added your location.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

They tolerate cold pretty well if they stay dry. But cold plus moisture on their combs, wattles and feet can lead to frostbite. I think they can also get pneumonia like anybody else. Right,@aart?

 

[murrychicken]

Don't laugh.

Oh that was very helpful! I called my husband over and we watched together. We are going to remove that tilting rooting bar that the chickens don't use and add a long bar the way you said. There is actually another door in the coop area where your finger was that is probably 1/3 of the left side wall that I can open. My husband has gone out and opened it. Sounds like we should leave it open all winter. There are 3 small ventilation corners on the other side of the coop at the top. I will update some pics tomorrow. I am going to bed. That you for all your time!