Young birds refusing to go in coop at night?

[ChickenPox]

Don't know if this is the right place for this......but I wasn't sure where to post it! LOL!

I've been out of birds for a couple years due to a divorce and several moves, but decided to recently start back! I got some hatchery birds, hatched some eggs, and as a result, had basically two sets of biddies a couple weeks apart. The older set stayed in the brooder longer than they should have due to problems getting the pen and coop finished. But we finally finished it and turned everyone out in it. They were SO HAPPY to have the large amount of space to run around in. (These are Nov/Dec babies.)

Anyway, for whatever reason, the dodo brains won't go in the coop at night, instead insisting on sleeping underneath it! We have gone in and put them in there after dark for a couple nights, but they continually roost on the ground under it when given the choice. The crazy thing is, during the day, they have no problem going in and hanging out. We dont have a roost in there yet for them, and that is on the to do list. But it is full of soft shavings and they love laying in it during the day. I only worry because there is another serious cold snap coming and I have had chickens freezing to death in the past when they (for whatever reason) stayed outside the heated part of the coop. It is currently not heated, so shouldn't be too warm. Our nights have been down in the 40's here lately. There is plenty of space for them too.

Any suggestions or ideas on how to get them to go in at night? I have never had this problem before and the only thing I can think of is that they were in the brooder for too long and are having a hard time learning how to be chickens.... ???

 

[SA Farm]

It can take a while to instill the habit of going in. When I move my chicks outside to their house from the brooder, I usually have to put them in every night for at least a week before they really get the gist of it. They also get locked in and let out in the morning. Chickens are funny.

 

[jenifry]

Is there light somewhere that is drawing them away from the coop until it is too dark for them to see to go in it?

Mine had this problem: My kids would leave the basement light on, and I would go out and find them all in the window well to the basement window where the light was shining in. When the light got shut off, they tried to find the coop, but it was too dark, so they laid outside of it. If the kids left the light off, they would all go roost like clockwork.

Another question I would have, is it a raised coop with a ramp? and if so, do they use it or fly in during the daytime?

 

[ChickenPox]

I"m trying to upload a pic, but my phone is slow. LOL! It is a raised coop with a ramp, and they do go in during the day. The ramp is a bit on the steep side (the BF is VERY new to chickens and made it without consulting me first, lol) but they can navigate it. Maybe they just need to be put in more often. I honestly don't remember my last set of birds having this problem, but that has been YEARS ago.

I don't think there is a light anywhere close by anyway. Maybe if I put a lamp in the coop it would help draw them in? It worked in the brooder.

 

[waldeneffect]

We've had this problem recently and my solution was to bribe them with a tasty treat.

I also locked them in the coop for half a day with the hanging coconut. The next night they went in the coop all by themselves.

Here's a post on the hanging coconut experiment.

http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Do_chickens_like_coconuts__63__/

 

[ChickenPox]

I like the treat idea! Now if I can get them to realize treats are a good thing........they even turned thier noses up at the meal worms. I tell you, this is the weirdest group of birds I've ever had. LOL!

 

[ChickenPox]