Newbie Designed Coop and Help Needed

[Penpal]

Chickens don't like going into a dark space. If you have electricity put in a light so they can get to the food and feel safe.

 

[Kat2141]

I honestly think they are just going so late, that they don't know where to go once they are there. They just need to learn to head in earlier and stop partying so late. I just don't know how to teach them that.

It's always fun trying to figure these girls out. I got 8 new girls 2 years ago that gave me issues at first. The original ones would go in but the new ones wouldn't. I finally put a nightlight on a timer in and they all went in with no problems. They did not like going from a "light" area (outside) to a darker area. So, I still have lights on a timer and it just makes my life easier. They are actually a little spoiled because their "coop" is an unused horse stall in a barn and it can get dark in there even with the window. I have a brighter LED light on a timer that comes on before dark. That encourages them to come in early and check out their food or whatever and find their spot for the night. While that is on, a small strand of Christmas LED lights come on with another timer. Then the bright one shuts off so they have a warning to get to bed before it is pitch black, then maybe half hour later the Christmas lights go off. This has worked well for me and them.

BTW, mine typically will not go inside to eat. They go into the nest box and then go right back outside. They have food in there 24/7 but I also put a dish of food outside. I've discovered (thanks to some rainy weather) that they LOVE their crumbles completely saturated with water, so I do that in a dish every morning. They eat that up and then anything else they eat is dry.

Another thought, do you have a thermometer in the coop? It may get pretty warm in there, being steel and all. A wireless remote thermometer would help you keep an eye on that.

Enjoy your girls, looks like you are making them a nice home.

 

[BeyondBlessed]

It's always fun trying to figure these girls out. I got 8 new girls 2 years ago that gave me issues at first. The original ones would go in but the new ones wouldn't. I finally put a nightlight on a timer in and they all went in with no problems. They did not like going from a "light" area (outside) to a darker area. So, I still have lights on a timer and it just makes my life easier. They are actually a little spoiled because their "coop" is an unused horse stall in a barn and it can get dark in there even with the window. I have a brighter LED light on a timer that comes on before dark. That encourages them to come in early and check out their food or whatever and find their spot for the night. While that is on, a small strand of Christmas LED lights come on with another timer. Then the bright one shuts off so they have a warning to get to bed before it is pitch black, then maybe half hour later the Christmas lights go off. This has worked well for me and them.

BTW, mine typically will not go inside to eat. They go into the nest box and then go right back outside. They have food in there 24/7 but I also put a dish of food outside. I've discovered (thanks to some rainy weather) that they LOVE their crumbles completely saturated with water, so I do that in a dish every morning. They eat that up and then anything else they eat is dry.

Another thought, do you have a thermometer in the coop? It may get pretty warm in there, being steel and all. A wireless remote thermometer would help you keep an eye on that.

Enjoy your girls, looks like you are making them a nice home.

Thank you so much!!! They finally started going in on their own! Only a few will roost on the bars, but the rest huddle around the door opening. We did end up putting a solar light for them to follow in there, and then we turn it off. But there is always a couple that stay in the doorway that we have to help inside
We also moved their food outside and I just feed them every morning. I totally plan to wet some of their food, though. They have let the dust alllll stay in there and I don't want that wasted. We had move it out because of ants. We took allllll the bedding out to get rid of any food wasted.. and started fresh.

Also, I did go out in the hottest day, and thankfully it wasn't bad at all in the coop. It is shaded pretty well by the barn and the trees, so it is the most shaded area of the yard!

Thank you sooo much for your help!!

 

[BeyondBlessed]

Update, the coop is amazing! We have be through some terrible storms this last week and it has remained dry inside, even while the windows are completely open. The ventilation has worked so well, and the chickens seem very happy in it.