sleeping in the coop

[the3ofus+oursixchicks]

ok winter is coming on i live in alabama. my 3 hens have slept on the top of their coop. no big deal while it was warm and hot out. now i am trying to break them from that and put them inside the coop. rosey and daisey do good i put them in and they stay in (except last night rosey didnt want to stay in) so i let them sleep on top since it wasnt real cold. it is supposed to be getting down in the 4o's this next week some. my question is will they get inside the coop themselves if its real cold or will i have to continue to train them to be inside it? my husband says they know when its too cold to sleep up there and they will get inside it when they get cold. i say i dont know and dont think so because they have been used to sleeping on top of it. so what does anyone think about it????

 

[TheIvoryKitty]

the3ofus+oursixchicks :

my question is will they get inside the coop themselves if its real cold or will i have to continue to train them to be inside it? my husband says they know when its too cold to sleep up there and they will get inside it when they get cold.

It seems to me that they'd know if they're uncomfortably cold and will seek the warmer indoors. In a survival sense, even if chickens are pea-brains they've gotta at least know how to move if they need to. I wouldn't worry about it.​

 

[darin367]

do you have a place for them to roost.... put them on the roost as soon as it gets dark.... might take a few days but they should get the hang of it....

 

[the3ofus+oursixchicks]

yes they have a place to roost. rosey and daisey do good but petunia she will come back out about 4-5 times. but evenyually she gives up. i just dont want them to be cold. they go in the run (they free range 98% of time) they go in the run round sunset. they are good about going to bed. just not in the right place.

 

[mlward]

Is there a door on the coop? I would just put them in at dark and close the door. After a couple days, they'll get the hang of it.

 

[Tiss]

If there's a way to lock them in the coop, you need to physically lock them in there for 3 or 4 nights. After that they should get the hang of it.

 

[goldies99]

you need to train them to go IN the coop!.....put them in and lock them up!!!...they will thank you for it this winter!!!!...........

soon as they get use to it they will go in on their own!

 

[FrenchToast]

I was going to post a similar question. I have just started letting out some young guineas and pullets that have been locked up in the coop for a few weeks now. My concern is if they will go into the coop after dark. I was unable to catch some of the quineas. I think once they are roosted in the trees or in this case on top of another chicken run that they are set for the night now matter how cold it gets. I don't think they will move much after dark let alone to the ground to get into the coop door.

Anyone know if they will seek shelter way after dark if the temps drop dramatically ?

Last year we found a pullet on the ground in a sitting position, like she just fell from the tree she was roosting on !! I am in Northern WI. Last year once we got them used to the coops they were fine but getting the guineas in is a whole different story .

 

[quesodano]

guineas are a pain i sold mine...I certainly dont understand why some people are so fond of them. They really do love roosting out of doors as a habit.

 

[ChickDaze]

When I first got mine, they went into the coop just fine. I find that giving scratch (corn, mealworms, and other treats) inside the coop works well for "herding" them. You might want to try that just before dark and shutting them in.

I was talking to another chicken owner who mentioned that hers would be up in the trees right then. She had owned chickens for a few years, so I would guess they either knew to get in the coop when it got cold, or just toughed it out.