Svart Hona

[mbridge8]

Can anyone answer a question for me? I live in Western Pa and it's starting to get cold. My Svart Hona have never gone in their coop at night they roost in branches I have in their enclosed pen. Now that it's getting colder they I'm worried that they could freeze come winter. What are your thoughts?

 

[TwinsLoveChicks]

Can you catch them and put them in their coop before dark? A couple of nights of that and they will probably realize that their coop is a lot cozier than the trees. If that doesn't work you might want to try locking them in their coop (depending on the size) with food and water for a couple days until they start to think of the coop as their home.
I hope this helps! Also, welcome to BYC!

 

[aart]

Knowing more about your setup,

your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
roost length in feet,

might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

 

[Zoomie]

I have Svart Hona too. However, I put mine in the coop for quite a while, with their food and water, so that they understood where "home" was, and they have always returned to the coop at night. My set up allows me to actually herd them in at night when I want to, so even if they did not go in the coop, I'd be able to herd them in. They always go in so it's not a problem, and I lock them in at night to keep them safe.

I guess I would suggest to catch them at night (way easier than trying to catch them in the daytime because they can run like the devil) and put them in the coop, with food and water, and leave them locked in there for a week or maybe even two weeks. HOWEVER. That is ONLY if you have enough room in your coop!

My feeling is that this is a good plan due to the fact that if they are locked in the coop at night, there is less chance for a predator to get in there and "get" them. I've been wiped out by raccoons before... my coop is VERY sturdy and tight to prevent that happening again.

I want to emphasize: you have to have enough room in your coop to be able to lock them in. Don't do that if it's a tiny coop and a lot of birds.

 

[mbridge8]

Knowing more about your setup,

your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
your coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
roost length in feet,

might offer clues to if there is a solvable problem.

four total in a run 5ft x 8ft

 

[aart]

four total in a run 5ft x 8ft

How big is coop?
Pics would really help.

 

[mbridge8]

4ft x 3ft

 

[aart]

Might be a bit tight of a space for 4 birds.
Depends on roost placement and ventilation.
Crowding is the number one reason for birds to roost outside the coop.

 

[Zoomie]

OK, so it sounds like at minimum, you have enough space for 3 birds. SH are kinda small compared to some breeds but still, that might be a little too tight for them. I agree with @aart it might depend on roost placement and how the space is organized. They may think it's just too small. It can be hard to argue with a chicken...

 

[aart]

It can be hard to argue with a chicken