Nighttime behavior.

[speltier]

As a new owner, I'd love some insight from you more experience keepers... I don't get the impression that my birds are totally dumb, but.. some of my birds, which are all between 7 and 10 weeks tend to nest down under the coop, on the ground. They're well hidden, and sheltered from the wind, but there's a nice coop right above them. Why would they pile upon one another outside when they can sleep inside where it's warm and there's food and water? I put a few of them up the ramp to the first level of the coop where they immediately ate and drank...

Thoughts? Am I too worrysome? Thanks!

 

[r0xiRox]

I would also like to see how this one goes, my chookies do the same and sleep on the floor at night and in the day they spend time up on the coop laying eggs. I'm pretty sure its just a natural thing, if there your first chickens and you only just got them, they are new and they need to check out the rest of the coop. Mine stopped laying on the ground once they discovered that there is a nice big coop next to em. You never know, maybe they do go in there at night. Do you have a light in there for them?

 

[#1California Chick]

How long have your chickens been in this coop? You might want to lock them in the coop for 3-5-7 days until they understand that this is HOME!!! Then they will go into the coop at night. You could also go out after dark and put them on the roosts!

Good Luck!!

Cindy

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

I had to put mine in the coop the first several nights - they don't get a choice. Even though I think their run is secure, I KNOW their coop is, so that's where they are sleeping. Some of mine were quite a bit older than yours before they figured out the roost though. If you can put them up on the roost at dark, I think it helps them figure it out faster.

 

[gritsar]

#1California Chick :

How long have your chickens been in this coop? You might want to lock them in the coop for 3-5-7 days until they understand that this is HOME!!! Then they will go into the coop at night. You could also go out after dark and put them on the roosts!

Good Luck!!

Cindy

I agree.​

 

[katrinag]

I agree with the others that you will have the best luck locking them in for awhile. Also if they can not find there perch, I just place a couple of them on the perch at night for a couple nights and them they seem to understand.

 

[silkieluver]

I have the same problem with my Silkie hen & roo. They slept in their house when we first got them, we also had 2 other roosters. We found a home for 2 roosters and they have not slept in either of their houses since. They sleep on the ground cuddled together, just by the gate of the fence, we did put a bunch of hay down for them & they are agaist the house under the eave. They have run of the entire back yard. I have put them in theer house & they just come out & cuddle together. Oh well.

 

[ssteiner]

Ditto on locking them in for a few days. Mine just didn't get it ... slept in the run and I just knew they were cold. So I locked them in the coop for two days and two nights with food and water and from that point on, come dusk every night, they're getting ready for bed in the coop. You could set your watch by their bedtime...

-Scott

 

[speltier]

Hm, nice. Thanks for the replies. I hadn't thought to lock them in for days at a time... I think I'll try putting them all to bed for a few nights, see how that goes. I don't actually have a provision to lock them into the coop... the ramp up into the coop doesn't have a door. I could just block it off from inside though.I do have a light, two in fact... I think the 250W I just added is too much for the job, so I just switched on the 100W only. Anyway, baby-detail calls... thanks again!

 

[Granolamom]

Quote:
Is the light inside the coop? If so, they may not like it, and that's why they won't go inside. I tried a white light in mine when it got so cold here in GA, and all of my chooks refused to go inside (they hate bright light). After I replaced it with a no-light ceramic heating coil, they went right back into their coop.