Training Flock to Go into Coop at Night

[Linda49]

Hi...I have just gotten my first chickens (6 mixed two month old hens). We have a coop that has the roosting/nesting area "upstairs" and the chickens need to go up a ramp to enter. It also has a wired in exercise area on the bottom. How do I train the chickens to go into the roosting area at night? Is it necessary to lock them in the roosting area if the coop is secure where no predators can get in?

Also, I am in Central Florida and I am wondering when they are closed in the roosting area if it is too hot in there. There is a small window (about 3' x 5") on one side and a couple of small, quarter sized holes on the other side. There is also a way I can close the roof that leaves a small opening along the top. Is this enough ventilation for our hot, Florida nights? Aside from nights, the chickens have a larger, fenced in area they can scratch around in during the day.

Thanks!

 

[Judy]

It sounds like it will get way too hot in there before the night is out. Unfortunatel, most small pre-built coops do not have enough ventilation, even for cold weather. In central Florida, to a chicken, there is never any such thing as cold weather. If it were my coop, I would remove one whole wall and replace it with hardware cloth. My coop is essentially a 3 sided structure, in terms of the amount of air flow. I don't do anything to winterize it, but I run a fan in it all summer.

Sometimes they need to be trained to sleep on the roost. Just place them on there by hand every night, usually for a week or so. But I wouldn't do this unless you are sure it is comfortable. If your outer area is predator proof, you can certainly let them sleep where they wish.

 

[Linda49]

Thanks, Judy! I will leave the in and out door open until we can think of some way to modify without tearing the whole thing apart. Wish it would have stayed cooler here until I could have gotten them used to going in there... (