They won't go to coop to roost

[PatB52]

I'm brand new to the forum. I know this may have been addressed before but I'm not sure how I would search for the topic.

I have six, 13 week old chickens - two roosters and four hens (supposed to be all hens, but, oh well.) When I first let them start free ranging on our 4 1/2 acres, they would come back to the coop each night as they were supposed to - for about two weeks. One lovely late spring evening I went out to sit on our front porch and they decided to join me. The ended up lined up on one of the railings. I was able to entice them to the coop with some watermelon slices. They showed up on the porch the next night. Fruit worked again. Soon they caught onto my ruse and I ended up carrying them one at a time to the coop each night (only about 50 steps from the porch but repeated six times.) They've only gone to the coop on their own one night since then and that was when there was a tornado in the area. Tonight was particularly trying. I started the carry process before they were all settled and mellow and the first hen I grabbed protested a great deal and the dominant rooster decided he needed to defend her. I had to be on my guard all the way to the coop because he kept trying to bite my ankles. I picked up a stick to defend myself as I carried the others. The rooster is still on the porch as I type this. Not sure what I'm going to do with him tonight.


How can I break them of this habit? It's too warm now and the coop to small to confine them all day for a week. Is there something I can put on the porch that will repel them? Help!

Pat in SW Iowa

 

[GitaBooks]

Chickens like to roost where you are "roosting", especially if they trust you. If they see you sitting on the porch, they will come and join you. They learn quickly, so they will wait for their evening treats before going to bed.
Try staying inside until after dark. They should go back to the coop on their own. If they don't, carry them back in. They should relearn if they don't get anything out of it. It may take a few attempts of moving them, but hopefully it will work.

Chickens are really cute, but also stubborn.

Best of luck!

 

[PatB52]

Thanks for your reply. I've tried that. They come to the porch now whether I'm there or not. They just love the porch. I've let them stay on the there as late as midnight and they showed no inclination to return to the coop.

Maybe if I sit down by the coop in the evening, they'll decide to start roosting there again.

Yes, they are stubborn.

Pat

 

[aart]

Build a run and keep them confined to that.

You say the coop is too small and hot....that could well be why they don't want to roost in there. You really should fix that as there may be a time when that's the safest place for them to be even during the day.

 

[PatB52]

They do have a run with roosts attached to the coop and that's where they've been roosting on warm nights - after I put them away.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Pat

 

[aart]

They do have a run with roosts attached to the coop and that's where they've been roosting on warm nights - after I put them away.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Pat

Maybe leave them confined to the run for a week....might establish a pattern for them to roost there instead of the porch.