What do you think is going on with my chickens...

[Jen4]

My chickens will be 20 weeks this Wed. and have been in their coop for months and have done great until the past few nights... when I go to lock them up at night there are 10-15 of them each night staying out of the coop and think they are going to sleep on our rabbit hutch thats in the chicken run... what gives? I have to pick them chickens up and shove them in the coop.

We have 34 chickens in our coop... its an 8x12 building... lots of roost for them, 9 next boxes.

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

Could they be afraid of something predator-ish in the coop? Snake maybe? Did they have a scare or close call in there recently?

 

[Jen4]

I dont think so... they hang out there in the daytime or under it... and all the others go in at night

thinking I may try putting a light in the coop and see if that will help?

 

[cmom]

I have night lights in my coops.

 

[Jen4]

Went out to lock chickens up yesterday evening and there was 16 on the rabbit hutch, this is really getting on my nerves! I just left them there, didnt feel like picking each one up and shoving them in the chicken door.... Dh and I are going to try to do our roost better, maybe that will help?

 

[CMV]

Many people have recommended the use of nighttime lighting with good effect. Chickens waltz right in as soon as it gets dark.

Could your coop be too hot?

 

[Jen4]

Its not hot in there... them chickens are all sitting on the rabbit hutch right now, think I need to get that out of the coop area or put a slanted top on it so they cant sit there?

 

[Jen4]

this is getting soooo

I just went out to lock the chicken door and there was 3 roosters and about 6-8 pullets on the rabbit hutch! I picked all the pullets up one by one and shoved em in the chickie door and I left the roosters out. Just this evening Dh and I put another window in the chicken coop for more light and air flow and we added more roost for them, they have a ton of room in their coop and ALL THE OTHERS GO IN WHEN ITS TIME.

 

[Superior Chicks]

I had this exact problem until I put a light in the coop that comes on 1 hour before dusk. Now they all file in like little soilders.

All I do now is go out and turn off the light and close the doors., say goodnight. Listen by their windows for awhile to their purring and trilling......................my favorite time of day.

There have been many posts lately on this subject, do a search and see all the responses.

HTH

Ma

 

[lalaland]

this is a long shot, but sometimes chickens start avoiding their coop when they are being bothered at night, by mites, by snakes, by rats...

it might be worth making a point to observe them about the time that the group heads into the coop - does anyone go in and then come back out?

after they are in, hang around the outside and see if you can notice anything - is there bullying going on?

is there enough roost space for all?

if it is dark inside the coop while it is relatively light outside, it might be that they are hanging out enjoying the day and then it is too dark for them to happily go inside, hence the suggestions from others about putting a light on (you can use a timer to slowly dim it off)

and yes, making the top of the rabbit hutch less inviting might help.