The girls will not come into the coop at night

[Calabogie chicken lady]

I have 12 hens about 2 1\2 to 3 months old. I just started letting out in the run a few days ago. The first night i had to pick them up and throw them in tE coop and shut the gillotine door, the next night they all went in when dark, so i went and shut the hatch door for the night. Well tonight 2 of them decided to stay out in the run on a roost branch i have. I just went and picked them off and threw them in the coop. The run is 100% preditor safe but should i making sure they go in every nite. Will they go in in the morning to lay their eggs in their boxes. I do not want them laying outside in the run as it is very difficult to get them. Last year they all used to go in at nite, i would leave the hatch open and when they got up they would lay their eggs than go out to the run.
What should i do. Should i insist they sleep in the coop and close the hatch at nite and reopen every morning.

 

[TwentyOneChickens]

I have 12 hens about 2 1\2 to 3 months old. I just started letting out in the run a few days ago. The first night i had to pick them up and throw them in tE coop and shut the gillotine door, the next night they all went in when dark, so i went and shut the hatch door for the night. Well tonight 2 of them decided to stay out in the run on a roost branch i have. I just went and picked them off and threw them in the coop. The run is 100% preditor safe but should i making sure they go in every nite. Will they go in in the morning to lay their eggs in their boxes. I do not want them laying outside in the run as it is very difficult to get them. Last year they all used to go in at nite, i would leave the hatch open and when they got up they would lay their eggs than go out to the run.
What should i do. Should i insist they sleep in the coop and close the hatch at nite and reopen every morning.

Congrats on your hens! I, too, have 12 hens.

Just keep putting them inside until they get it. This happened to me at first but they got it after the first 4 days or so. Once some go inside, they all do.

Also, if you have perches in the run, make sure they're not quite as comfortable as the ones inside so they don't sleep on those.
Good luck!

 

[Calabogie chicken lady]

Good idea about not making them so comfortable, i will let them out everyday and bring them in myself every nite until they learn. They all went in last nite except 2

 

[rebrascora]

Make sure there is plenty of roost space in the coop. They are at an age when they will start to jostle for position and roosting time is the main point during the day when the pecking order comes into force. Top bird gets to choose the best spot and who roosts beside her. A coop that was amply big enough when they were small can soon become cramped when you get one or two birds that develop attitude and adolescence is when it becomes an issue. If there is plenty of roosting space (1 foot of roost per bird is the recommended spacing) in the coop, then continue to put them in until they learn. Sometimes it will take a few days, other people find it takes them a couple of weeks.

For your information birds will go back into the coop to lay eggs in the nesting boxes. My birds very rarely all lay in the morning before they get let out but they know where the nesting boxes are and go back in to use them. Some get creative/sneaky when they are free ranging but I usually find their hiding places sooner or later. If they are confined to a run, they will almost certainly seek out the nest boxes for some security and privacy whilst they lay, although with new layers you get the occasional "oops" egg that gets deposited in the run or poop board because they get caught short.

 

[Calabogie chicken lady]

I was think roost inside alittle to small. I have 12 feet of roost BUT they crisscross in the corners so i actually only have 10 feet of possible standing room. Some times i find one sleeping in the egg box and i have to cick her out. So i will try to add another roost somewhere in coop. I do not think i can put one on top of the other, they would be pooping on each other

 

[Calabogie chicken lady]

Ok so i went out and put another 6 foot roost in the coop...when i went out tonight to see if they had all gone in hoping they were happy with the extra roost..guess what there were5 hens tonite on the outside roost in the run. I threwthemall in the coop. I even took the suggestion to make the outside roost not so comfortable, i put boards onthe roost, and theyknocked them all down so they could all sit outside. Do not understand as it it still 10- below

 

[rosemarythyme]

Instead of trying to make the outside roost uncomfortable (no point in having it then?) make the inside more comfortable. Photos of your roost and maybe some of the overall setup would help troubleshoot what the problem is. Maybe they don't like the bars, the location of them, lack of light or ventilation, etc.

 

[aart]

Make sure roosts in run are lower than roosts inside coop.
When I have young birds that hesitate to go inside at dusk I use a small battery operated puck light, turn it on before dusk and turn it off when locking up after dark.

 

[Fairview01]

Why is it so important that they go in the coop at night anyway?

Sometimes mine go in sometimes not. Where they decide to sleep on any given night doesn't affect the quality of my sleep.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Why is it so important that they go in the coop at night anyway?

Because in most cases runs aren't as secure as coops. Mine sure as heck isn't as it's topped with netting.