Why won't my chicks roost at night?

[annek]

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My chickens love my coop, I enclosed a former goat pen that backed up to my coop and put a large door in the coop so that they have full access to it day and night. It is completely open on one side and put roosts out there but they still all go into the coop to roost. I have a lot of windows and it gets good ventilation and they seem very happy in it. I also put in a little led night light to give a little bit of light at night. I guess they feel more secure in the actual coop rather than the goat run area. Like I said, I have a lot of ventilation in the coop itself-I would look there first if I were you. It has been really hot here but during the day they run between the two areas. I also have a fan going to keep the air moving.

 

[jwchicklady]

mine free range during the day and do not like going in the coop at night, so I have to put them in there. I have to cut out more ventilation, but a coon broke into the coop a few nights ago and killed 2 chickens, so I think that mine are afraid to go back into the coop. I have fixed the problem, so the coon can't get back in, but I think they still remember what happened. poor things. The good thing that happened is that they do roost now instead of lay on the ground-- i am guessing this is because they don't feel safe down on the ground anymore.

 

[faykokoWV]

ok, so i put a solar light in the window that comes on when it gets dark. That solved half the problem, now the chickens go in just fine on their own at night (they always went in and out during the day).

Now that the chickens are going in at night I have a new problem. The young ones keep roosting on the nesting boxes, not in them but on a ledge that's over top. DH theory is that this is the area that's best lit by the nightlight. should I get a brighter light? Should I just keep moving them off of it every night until they learn? I have a golf ball in one of the nesting boxes (there are three) and they don't sit over that one. should I put golf balls in all of them so they think they are occupied?

I should point out that our coop is a modified 8x10 ft shed and it has 5 different levels of roost from about 8 inches off the ground to 5 foot. The nesting box is mounted on the side of the wall across from the window and is about 3 feet off the ground.
They have access to the coop all day and there is a grassy run that is 5 foot wide and about 150 feet long (its a chicken moat around our small garden)

 

[countrybum]

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That is exactly why they will not go back in the coop. I had the same thing happen and you just have to keep picking them up and putting them inside until they realize it is safe again.

 

[countrybum]

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To me this is normal, mine do the same thing. How old are they again? Mine usually quit when they hit about 5 months.

 

[rancher hicks]

I had a coon attack too. I closed up the holes and stayed in the coop with them for awhile. I also scraped out alot of the original chips intending to redo the bedding but didn't need to. Make some changes so things look new and different. Oh I forgot, I love chickens and thank the Lord I have them.

 

[Uppity Peon]

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Mine still settle down for the night in a huddle by the door at 8 weeks old. Last night I peeked in and none were roosting at lockup time, but when I got up to unlock this morning at least some were up on the roosting boards. It's hard to say how many because there are no windows, only a small crack to peek through.

My roof is corrugated PVC and some of the panels are clear, so it is never spooky dark in there unless it's spooky dark outside as well. I hear night lights can be helpful at dusk in dark coops.