Pullets not roosting?

[azygous]

It's not against the rules to put in a little night light. I've employed these from time to time, especially when clumsy Brahma roos have trouble getting onto the perch.

I've also put in a low wattage, red "party light" to supply the comfort of a red heat lamp without the added heat, and it aids in seeing without stimulating them to stay awake all night. But your guys have had enough time to get used to not needing the red heat lamp for comfort, so you really don't need it.

 

[chicksurreal]

It's not against the rules to put in a little night light. I've employed these from time to time, especially when clumsy Brahma roos have trouble getting onto the perch.

I've also put in a low wattage, red "party light" to supply the comfort of a red heat lamp without the added heat, and it aids in seeing without stimulating them to stay awake all night. But your guys have had enough time to get used to not needing the red heat lamp for comfort, so you really don't need it.

Going to have to do something, I think.

I went out this evening to make sure they were going in the coop and they were all milling around and roosting in the trees, not even interested in going to bed in the coop. I got them in the coop, but it was fully dark by that time and they were freaking out. I tried putting a few of them on roosts, but nobody was interested. Lol!

I know I don't have pests in the coop, and these pullets grew up in there and know it to be home, so what in the world???

I guess we'll figure it out together, these silly pullets and I.

 

[Amina]

Was anything new in the coop area that could have scared them? There was one time that I let my flock free range for a little bit while I cleaned up their run and put pine straw in it. So then it was getting dark and one of my hens freaked out, I think because she could tell there was something new in the run, but couldn't see what it was. So then she was trying to roost in the bushes.

 

[chicksurreal]

Was anything new in the coop area that could have scared them? There was one time that I let my flock free range for a little bit while I cleaned up their run and put pine straw in it. So then it was getting dark and one of my hens freaked out, I think because she could tell there was something new in the run, but couldn't see what it was. So then she was trying to roost in the bushes.

No, I don't think so, I can't think of anything that was different except I was a little bit later than normal to supervise their bedtime. Lol!

We have a 2500 sf run that they run around in during the day right now. I haven't let them free range yet, but they have lots of room and trees that provide leaves for them to dig around in right now.

I always go out there before they start going in to roost and last night I was a little bit later because of getting dinner ready. They were all just milling around or up in trees. Usually there is a Dark Cornish and a Brown Leghorn that like to get up in the trees, but there were at least 8 in the trees last night, and it was too dark for them to fly down, so I had to get a ladder and lift them out of the trees. They didn't like that.

I can see why they were afraid last night, by the time I got them all in, it was pitch dark and they couldn't see a thing except for the small light in my flashlight.

 

[chicksurreal]

Oh, something I forgot, it hailed yesterday with some sort of high winds, lightning and thunder too. That was a little bit earlier in the day, but it's a first for these girls. They've never experienced any kind of weather like that.

 

[aart]

You might want to coop them up for a few days and nights, if your coop is big enough, 'force' them to get familiar with the new roost and feel most comfortable there and establish some new habits.... and not allow the tree roosting to become a habit.

 

[chicksurreal]

You might want to coop them up for a few days and nights, if your coop is big enough, 'force' them to get familiar with the new roost and feel most comfortable there and establish some new habits.... and not allow the tree roosting to become a habit.

That's the weird thing. These pullets have spent all their lives in this coop. I put them in there when they were 3 days old and they have always lived there. All this started when we took the brooder light out of the coop when they were 8 weeks old.

We've never actually let them roost in the trees overnight, but when I go out in the evening there are usually a few in the trees and we put them in the coop.

Our coop is 10' x 12', so plenty of room for them. They just want to gather in a 2'x2' square at night. Sillies.

 

[azygous]

Try sticking a nightlight in there and see what happens.

I once had a couple of cockerels that refused to go into their coop at night until I put a red heat lamp in there and turned it on when I wanted them to go in. I believe these two were just slow to become emotionally mature and needed the comfort symbol of their brooder to motivate them. After they would roost, I would then turn out the light. After a month of that, I stuck a nightlight in the electric socket, and the two seemed to be happy with that.

Yes, chickens can be afraid of the dark.

 

[chicksurreal]

Try sticking a nightlight in there and see what happens.

I once had a couple of cockerels that refused to go into their coop at night until I put a red heat lamp in there and turned it on when I wanted them to go in. I believe these two were just slow to become emotionally mature and needed the comfort symbol of their brooder to motivate them. After they would roost, I would then turn out the light. After a month of that, I stuck a nightlight in the electric socket, and the two seemed to be happy with that.

Yes, chickens can be afraid of the dark.

That may end up happening.
I have been trying to avoid putting a light in there just because last year when it got cold I put a heat lamp back in with our other flock (SS Hamburgs) and they opted to roost in trees rather than go back in there with a light. I thought it might be confusing for them.

Tonight I went out earlier and it went much more smoothly. 14 immediately went to roost.