Chickens won’t go in coop

[Aqwifey]

Hi. Sorry it’s long

I’m new to chickens I have 13 bantams atm( slowly getting rid of Roos) and 1 new buff Orpington and will be getting a 2nd one of her flock on Friday. All are roughly 8-10weeks old.

My bantams I did lock them in for 3 days before I let them in the run. I do live in AZ and when I set them out we already was getting up into the 90s now we are hitting 99+. My buff who only had her for almost a week sleeps on top of the coop alone while the rest cuddle in a corner closest to the door sometimes the other side of i move the water and food dish.

How can I get them all to go in the coop at night? I don’t want to have to lock them all up with with heat we have and I do have both doors open on the coop for airflow.

Yes I did try to have one side closed and my husband is going to add more roost in the coop in case that’s the issue but they never gone In after the first 3 days besides the buff to “check it out”.

I added a flashlight one night and that didn’t help.

My coop is pretty secure ( I have chicken wire along bottom and a foot or so buried all around. Post holding the run down in case of our wind storms. Top has a trap and opening at top all have chicken wire.)

If nothing works should I just add roost to a corner and do an “open coop”?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of your set up would help a lot. My guess without any photos is it's possibly too hot inside the coop so the birds won't go in. You mention leaving the doors open for air flow so that's an indicator that it could be underventilated.

Also chicken wire is NOT predator proof at all. If the fencing is mostly chicken wire (not sure, since you mention it being on top and as an apron?), I would not consider it safe to leave them in the run at night.

 

[Aqwifey]

Photos of your set up would help a lot. My guess without any photos is it's possibly too hot inside the coop so the birds won't go in. You mention leaving the doors open for air flow so that's an indicator that it could be underventilated.

Also chicken wire is NOT predator proof at all. If the fencing is mostly chicken wire (not sure, since you mention it being on top and as an apron?), I would not consider it safe to leave them in the run at night.

No it’s mostly a chain link dog run? I got it from Home Depot. I added the chicken wide to the bottom and buried a foot of it. The one on top is mainly to keep pigeons out and chicken in since they are flighty.

Makes sense of it being to hot I just assumed it would be with our temps and that’s why I left it open. I have been setting them inside some nights before I go to bed.

 

[Aqwifey]

Sorry it’s dark but the triangle at top has the chicken wire and the bottom of the run

 

[Aqwifey]

Here is after I placed them all inside tonight. It’s not as hot with the wind

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sorry it’s dark but the triangle at top has the chicken wire and the bottom of the run

I would not consider that predator proof enough to allow them to sleep in the run. A predator proof run should not have any openings larger than 1/2". Adding hardware cloth or welded wire over the entirety of the chain link would be more of what I'd consider predator proof, depending on the actual predators of course.

Is that an Over EZ coop? - if so, they're underventilated even for moderate climates. If not, other than the 2 windows is there any other predator protected ventilation? Removing an entire wall and replacing it with wire mesh sounds extreme, but that's the extreme amount of ventilation favored in hot climates.

 

[Aqwifey]

I would not consider that predator proof enough to allow them to sleep in the run. A predator proof run should not have any openings larger than 1/2". Adding hardware cloth or welded wire over the entirety of the chain link would be more of what I'd consider predator proof, depending on the actual predators of course.

Is that an Over EZ coop? - if so, they're underventilated even for moderate climates. If not, other than the 2 windows is there any other predator protected ventilation? Removing an entire wall and replacing it with wire mesh sounds extreme, but that's the extreme amount of ventilation favored in hot climates.

It’s what I got and spent a lot on it. Not worried about predators really never seen any in all my years here besides a snake or two and I have a dog that makes check’s regularly as I have Guinea pigs who live outside most of the year. Idk what coop it is and the two windows is all it has. Not going to be able to upgrade for a long while as life has happened since them. Most I can do is make a roost outside of the coop with scrap wood I have.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It’s what I got and spent a lot on it. Not worried about predators really never seen any in all my years here besides a snake or two and I have a dog that makes check’s regularly as I have Guinea pigs who live outside most of the year. Idk what coop it is and the two windows is all it has. Not going to be able to upgrade for a long while as life has happened since them. Most I can do is make a roost outside of the coop with scrap wood I have.

They might just have to roost outside then, as it may simply be too hot for them to safely stay in there during summer months.

Maybe too little too late, but possibly you could sell the coop to recoup what you spent, and use the funds to beef up the run and use the entire space as a open air coop/run combo.

 

[Aqwifey]

They might just have to roost outside then, as it may simply be too hot for them to safely stay in there during summer months.

Maybe too little too late, but possibly you could sell the coop to recoup what you spent, and use the funds to beef up the run and use the entire space as a open air coop/run combo.

My husband is the one that got it and idk where it is from just that it was $600 alone. I know we do get up to 120 sometimes and I should have a total of 9 hens when the Roos are gone. I do appreciate your advice.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My husband is the one that got it and idk how much he paid for it for from where. I know we do get up to 120 sometimes and I should have a total of 9 hens when the Roos are gone. I do appreciate your advice.

Maybe selling it could be something to talk about with him, I don't know. I do think the space overall would work as an open air set up in your climate. The run may be fine as is if your dog is a good guardian (as that would thwart a lot of potential attacks), but I didn't want to mislead you by saying predator security wouldn't be a concern when it could possibly be.