New to the coop... Problem.

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xrembax

xrembax

Hatching
6 Years
Aug 26, 2013
2
0
7
Pittsburgh, PA
I just got 5 chickens & I think I have a few problems. 1 they don't use the roost. 2 they are in cliques... 2 are cool & the other 3 are cool but not mingling. 3. They're pooping in the nesting boxes & roosting on top of them. 4. What is too early for opening a coop. We are smack dab in the middle of no where. Really! We have it all out here. I get up at 4am for work & I leave by 6. Will they be safe if I open the door? They will not be free range when I'm at work but they have a run. Any input or encouragement or reassurance would be great. I'm learning as I go. Thanks
 
Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!
LL
 
Hi and :welcome

How old are your chickens? They learn to use roosts as they grow older, mine just started doing it normally when they were a few months old. Or you could try placing them on the roosts - they might just hop off again but they'll know they're there at least. Can the chickens easily get up to the roosts?

The "cliques" thing is normal, there's always a hen or two who are head of the flock. As long as nobody is seriously hurting each other, they will be okay.

As long as they're protected from potential predators, you can open the coop door any time. We have no predators in our area, and the coop door stays open 24/7, this means the chickens can come out however early they like - usually around 5am in summer, when we're all still in bed!

Good luck, and enjoy the site. :D
 
Welcome!

How old are they?
Are the roosts too high?

You might need to create a ladder or something for them to climb/hop up to the roosting bars. If they are too young to lay then remove or completely block off the nesting boxes, they don't need them and just creating bad habits.
 
Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan
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If your birds are young, they just haven't figured out the roost thing yet. You might block off the nest boxes late in the afternoon and open them back up in the morning to discourage them from sleeping there. If your run is secure from predators, they should be fine having the coop door often - but better make sure that the run is completely secure.
 

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