It would help us provide more accurate and useful advice if we knew your location.
Looking at the pictures, I immediately saw the problem. There is no ventilation. Lack of oxygen. That's why they are sleeping outside.
You said you are new to this so you are forgiven for not knowing that chickens don't need warmth, they need fresh air. They are wearing their warmth. They are outdoor animals and oxygen is more important than fresh food and clean water.
You also said they won't go into the warm dry area. But you then said water got into the coop so it was no longer dry.
Chickens can live in trees through rain, snow, wind and cold. Do you know why? Because they have fresh air. I have a hen right now that has been roosting up in a tree for weeks through cold windy rain nights. She shows up every morning to be with the flock.
Had I kept her in a closed up steel building, I wouldn't expect her to last as long as she has in the tree. The last 2 buildings I built have windows covering 1/3 of both east and west walls. Wind down to -19F has been blowing through there for the last 5 years. Never a sniffle out of a bird.
Chickens don't survive winter by being kept warm. A warm place with no cross ventilation quickly gets loaded up with humidity. That is a breeding ground for fungus, viruses, bacteria, frostbite and ammonia. I'd sleep outside too.
You asked what you should do differently.
Cut big windows and cover with hardware cloth if predators can get to the building. Preferably on opposite sides of the coop. East wall is most important if you are in the Northern hemisphere. Ignore the temperature, rain, snow and wind. It won't hurt them unless all your birds are frizzles and seramas.
Looking at the pictures, I immediately saw the problem. There is no ventilation. Lack of oxygen. That's why they are sleeping outside.
You said you are new to this so you are forgiven for not knowing that chickens don't need warmth, they need fresh air. They are wearing their warmth. They are outdoor animals and oxygen is more important than fresh food and clean water.
You also said they won't go into the warm dry area. But you then said water got into the coop so it was no longer dry.
Chickens can live in trees through rain, snow, wind and cold. Do you know why? Because they have fresh air. I have a hen right now that has been roosting up in a tree for weeks through cold windy rain nights. She shows up every morning to be with the flock.
Had I kept her in a closed up steel building, I wouldn't expect her to last as long as she has in the tree. The last 2 buildings I built have windows covering 1/3 of both east and west walls. Wind down to -19F has been blowing through there for the last 5 years. Never a sniffle out of a bird.
Chickens don't survive winter by being kept warm. A warm place with no cross ventilation quickly gets loaded up with humidity. That is a breeding ground for fungus, viruses, bacteria, frostbite and ammonia. I'd sleep outside too.
You asked what you should do differently.
Cut big windows and cover with hardware cloth if predators can get to the building. Preferably on opposite sides of the coop. East wall is most important if you are in the Northern hemisphere. Ignore the temperature, rain, snow and wind. It won't hurt them unless all your birds are frizzles and seramas.
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