Roosters are driving me crazy

[kmpcfp]

Try blackening the coop windows with thick (winter) curtains?

Oops.... There under the coop. Roll down black plastic at dusk?. Just throwing things to see if anything sticks.

I ended up catching the 5 roosters that were under here (13 total chickens!) and put them in the coop last night. Definitely going to block this off so I don't need to army crawl through poo again. I put scratch grains in the coop this morning to hopefully entice them to go in on their own.

I did butcher two roosters that normally sleep in the coop so I am hoping with those two gone, the others will want to go in coop.

 

[ShrekDawg]

View attachment 3715240


I ended up catching the 5 roosters that were under here (13 total chickens!) and put them in the coop last night. Definitely going to block this off so I don't need to army crawl through poo again. I put scratch grains in the coop this morning to hopefully entice them to go in on their own.

I did butcher two roosters that normally sleep in the coop so I am hoping with those two gone, the others will want to go in coop.

Good luck!

 

[kmpcfp]

The good news is with them in the coop, I slept!!

 

[wrathsfarm]

View attachment 3715240


I ended up catching the 5 roosters that were under here (13 total chickens!) and put them in the coop last night. Definitely going to block this off so I don't need to army crawl through poo again. I put scratch grains in the coop this morning to hopefully entice them to go in on their own.

I did butcher two roosters that normally sleep in the coop so I am hoping with those two gone, the others will want to go in coop.

Oh boy, yes that wouldn't be fun. Need a rain suit/hazmat suit for that... Good luck getting them to stay in coop.

 

[kmpcfp]

Omgggg it was rainy last night, so I didn't put them in coop. Welp 1:30 am, crowings starts. And I relocated the 3 offenders back into the coop as I have been doing every evening for the past 10 days.

They still haven't gotten the cue, then they start crowing at 3 am and 5 am from in the coop and I still hear it.

I don't understand why they are crowing at night. My next step is to put a contractor bag over the window, but there really isn't much radiant light.

About to put up rockwool between the studs and cover with plywood, or give up on having a self populating flock.

 

[lagrange chicks]

very well could be hearing something outside of the coop and crow to scare it away.

 

[kmpcfp]

I put a layer of old carpet against the wall closest to the house, then put a layer of plasying sheeting over that to cut back on dust accumulation. Then I blacked out the windows and put a flap about a foot away from the open eaves to still allow air flow but block light from coming in. It's now nearly pitch black in there by 5 pm. Didn't hear a peep from them until 7 am. Crossing fingers it sticks. Now on to train them to go in at night so I can set the automatic pop door.


The problem I have with this group of chickens is they refuse to roost! They like to dog pile eachother in one corner of the coop after I put then in. In a 2'x2' space there were 7 chickens, including 2 of the roosters. 4 others were in another corner. There is literal empty space on the roosts that I move them to and they move back to their pile like cold chicks. It's not even that cold. I don't get them.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I put a layer of old carpet against the wall closest to the house, then put a layer of plasying sheeting over that to cut back on dust accumulation. Then I blacked out the windows and put a flap about a foot away from the open eaves to still allow air flow but block light from coming in. It's now nearly pitch black in there by 5 pm. Didn't hear a peep from them until 7 am. Crossing fingers it sticks. Now on to train them to go in at night so I can set the automatic pop door.


The problem I have with this group of chickens is they refuse to roost! They like to dog pile eachother in one corner of the coop after I put then in. In a 2'x2' space there were 7 chickens, including 2 of the roosters. 4 others were in another corner. There is literal empty space on the roosts that I move them to and they move back to their pile like cold chicks. It's not even that cold. I don't get them.

How old are they? It can take time to get used to the roosts

 

[kmpcfp]

How old are they? It can take time to get used to the roosts

They hatched in June of this year. Its not all of them that were brooded in that group, only about 1/3.

This won't fix that group - but I ordered a light and a timer to put inside of the coop at dusk because last night, almost all of them were on the floor with just 5-6 on the lower roost. Before the blackout, atleast 20 of them slept on the upper roost. I think they just couldn't see.

I have like 45ish chickens ages 7 months to 9 years and they definitely have their own "cliques".

 

[ShrekDawg]

They hatched in June of this year. Its not all of them that were brooded in that group, only about 1/3.

This won't fix that group - but I ordered a light and a timer to put inside of the coop at dusk because last night, almost all of them were on the floor with just 5-6 on the lower roost. Before the blackout, atleast 20 of them slept on the upper roost. I think they just couldn't see.

I have like 45ish chickens ages 7 months to 9 years and they definitely have their own "cliques".

Ahh okay that makes sense then!