They won't go into the coop at night

[Newbie in Screamer Al]

Never thought of that. Good point.
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[Newbie in Screamer Al]

LOL. I hope not. Maybe towards the end of the day, put some treats in there for them, and make them get em. They may realize its OK to go in. The snake comment made sense too. Look at them in the coop,(when you get them in that is), and see what they study, or stay away from. I do not know what else to suggest. Good luck, and be happy YOU dont go to bed early,LOL.
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[6chickens in St. Charles]

Newbie in Screamer Al, :

Never thought of that. Good point.
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Mites happened here. Good point.

To check for mites, put your warm hand in the coop where the chickens roost/sleep. The mites will swarm onto your warm skin. Look VERY CLOSELY as they are miniscule, smaller than sand. They may be gray, red, brown or a combo of colors.

If you have mites, turn your chickies over and search their bellies and vents for scabs, little purple bumps (mites feeding on their blood) and pale, greyish skin tone (anemia from blood loss!)

Hopefully your chickies are just choosy and fine. But checking for mites is very important if they are avoiding a space. Mites love wooden roosts and walls to nest in, but litter will keep them comfy, too. Good luck!​

 

[Knittycat]

And again tonight. The only difference between now and then is that they don't struggle and run anymore. The still squak like they're being murdered, but they stay still until I put them in the coop. Should I just let them stay outside for a couple of nights? This is getting old fast. No mites, it's a brand spankin' new coop. Also, no snakes. It's a good 2.5 feet off the ground. Not to say it's impossible, but since it's a new coop, and they're new chickens, they haven't had a snake scare. They're in and out during the day so I know they *can* they just *won't*.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

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We also had trouble with cedar chips for litter; it caused asthma in our son and hives on the chickens.

Maybe, too, something scary happened while they were in the coop one night. Is it safe from predators? Or is it a small setup that a fox , raccoon, neighborhood dog, kid or big cat can push around or try to tip over in the dark? Our neighborhood raccoons actually removed the sliding barn door from our garage. They have thumbs. And they have no regard for the safety of our pet chickens!

 

[Knittycat]

I tricked them today. I brought them a treat and put it in the coop just before dusk. They all ran up there to eat it, and I shut the door. They were none to happy, but they're in the coop. I've got a light on for them. My Mr thinks they're staying out because the ramp is too slick. It's a 1x10 and it's got treads every 6ish inches or so. They get up and down it ok, but he says they're slipping and afraid. I don't know about that, but I figure I'd come and ask. Asking doesn't hurt

I really doubt their hesitance is from a scare. Maybe I just put them in the coop too early? They've got pine shavings for bedding in the coop and fall leaves in the run, and they seem happy enough. You can see my coop on my BYC page. I think it's fairly secure unless a person comes along, but they'd be stealing the chickens, not just scaring them.

 

[Rustywreck]

Do you have a floodlight outside that is lighting up the area in which they are gathering? If I have the floodlight on outside the coop some of my hens will loiter outside until I turn it off.

If they are safe, I might try letting them stay outside overnight to see if they decide to go in on their own at some point.

Solving some of these idiosyncrasies is part of the fun of having chickens. Good luck.

 

[Knittycat]

No floodlight. The back yard is pretty dark. I'm not comfortable leaving them out of the coop, but I may have to try it.

 

[maclady]

Knittycat I had to add more boards across my ramp to the coop. They were sliding around and would try to fly in and out. They go in and out no problem now but like you they won't go in at night. I have to put them inside. Hopefully both our girls figure this out sooner rather than later. Today I have to block off the nest boxes since they think that is a good place to sleep instead of floor or roost. Good luck with your girls.

 

[DickGJ]

I too am struggling with this dilemma...The problem I have with my "darlings" is that they don't go in the coop at night so I have to hand place each one in the coop. I've used the trail of food trick on the ramp, and the light trick and turn it on in the evening, but I also have some fairly big windows on the coop so it lights up the surrounding area in the run. My ramp isn't slippery cause I've used non-slip floor paint on the ramp and have cross-bars every 4 inches or so. Seems to me they seem pretty content with the amount of light distributed outside...to bed down as a flock on the ground underneath the coop. I've been thinking about covering the windows so the only light that escapes is at the ramp...but since they lay down as a group underneath the ramp...I'm thinking that's all they'll continue to do. Perhaps I should place the light in the corner and not at the entrance to reduce the amount of light that goes out around the ramp. Hmmm..

I did see some one mention that the food and water should be kept inside the coop...I have both inside the coop and inside the run. Should I NOT have food and water in the run until they get the "message"