Teenagers avoiding the coop at night

[MeatyCluckers]

We have had our flock of chickens for 10 weeks today- and all were acquired as babies, so likely all around 11ish weeks. They’ve been outside for about 5 weeks, and have done fantastic putting themselves to bed. We have a coop door on auto timer and they’ve never even come close to being outside before it shuts- until the past two nights.

The past two nights the entire lil flock of 6 has gone to roost to sleep on top of the coop instead of inside. We have had to place them in coop manually past two nights. I don’t think there are pests or predators or anything that has changed past two nights so wondering if anybody has any tips? We do have a new coop coming next week that may resolve some of this because will have to reintroduce them to sleeping/eventual laying area (current coop is a secondhand freebie prefab that we reinforced and cleaned up as interim until the sturdier locally made could arrive),

We are EST and coop shuts at 9:05 pm. They all go to bed around 8:30, previously in coop no issues.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

If no predators or pests...then sometimes they simply are lazy about going to bed, especially in summertime. They may be disagreeing where everyone should roost in the coop, then it gets late, and they grab for whatever corner of the coop they can get.

Be sure your new roosting bars are lower to the floor (about 12 to 20 inches above floor). Chickens don't like to hop up that much. Make sure there is plenty of roost choices. Be prepared for flock drama as they work through the pecking order to get to bed at night.

LofMc

 

[Happy hen lover]

Mine were great then with this heat they got dumb. I do put a night light on a timer but have to manually put on roosts for 2 weeks now. And last 2 nights they FINALLY go in on their own. I agree you will prbly have to retrain with new coop. And good luck with new coop. .

 

[3KillerBs]

To some extent, "teenager" bedtime troubles are a normal with chickens as with humans.

I've seen my roosters rounding up late-stayers and getting them into the coop at dusk.

But make sure that the coop isn't getting too hot and stuffy.

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Thanks, all! This is helpful - glad to know we're not alone! The coop's current roosting situation is not ideal now that they're getting bigger (there's only one roost bar) - we had hoped the new coop would be here by the time they needed some more variety but it's not arriving until Thursday, and probably won't be ready for them until the weekend - so we'll craft another bar in the meantime! I'm keeping the back door open today to help air it out in case stuffiness is the issue (I don't think it is, it's pretty well ventilated and it was a breezy comfortable night last night).

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Update: not sure if it was the additional roosting bar, the extra daytime air, or just two nights of being hand placed in the coop, but they put themselves to bed tonight!