Hens don't seem to want to use coop or nesting box?

[irishlad]

Hello everyone

I have 2 days ago got 5 hens at point of lay.they seem very happy in their new home and the run I have built is very secure from foxes and mink etc so I am not worried about predators.

My concern(probably silly) is that they dont seem to want anything to do with the coop which is a modified barrel with clean straw bedding, or the nesting boxes which are big enough and also have fresh straw bedding.

They use roosts on the top of the coop at night and even today it is raining heavily and they are using shelter under the coop?

Are they just young and new to this and dont know to use the coop or am I doing something wrong?

Ps sorry about my grammar and punctuation, I am dyslexic

 

[Judy]

It would help if you would tell us your general location in your postbit; you can add this in your profile.

If it is hot where you are, chances are it is cooler where they choose to rest than n the coop. In hot weather they need lots of breeze and shade as they don't tolerate heat well at all. they tolerate winter cold much better You may even find it necessary to open up one or wt ends of the coop and cover with hardware cloth only.

Here is a whole thread about summer or hot weather coops that work well. Maybe you will get a good idea from it.

Also, they may not be used to a coop and are tying to live the wa they are accustomed to living.

Good luck!

 

[irishlad]

Hi
Thanks for the reply
I am in Ireland and it rains quiet a lot,we rarely get over 27 degrees c in the hottest days of summer and in winter its mainly wet

I dont think heat will be a problem here lol but iv checked them tonight and they are roosting outdoors quite happily under sheltor on top of the run,It is raining quite heavily but they are not directly exposed to it as I have made a makeshift tempory roof over the roosts, It is an ''A'' frame coop,about 6 feet high

 

[chickmomma03]

can you take a picture and post it? It might help. My coop has a door on it, but mine thankfully love going into it. They stay out of it and in the run most of the day other than to go in and eat/drink some water, and go in near dark.

 

[irishlad]

I think I am going to buy a garden shed and build a run around it,I built a large Aframe coop

 

[chickmomma03]

If you buy a shed you can modify it for them with proper venting etc. If you add shelving or anything make sure it has enough support so it's secure. I built my coop myself. I used siding, windows/screens, and a door off an old camper to make mine. I had to make sure I had plenty of ventilation though because we can hit 100+F here.

 

[irishlad]

In Ireland we dont need to worry about heat really,we need glass houses to grow tomatoes haha but I would rather build my own that a comercially bought one as I could do it in half the price and make it predator proof excluding rats of course.

I am praying that they have just brought a habit from their old home with them and will eventuslly warm to the coop

 

[chickmomma03]

Quote: Very true about building and saving money. I bought my supplies and it cost me a little over 250$ without the siding etc, but it was STILL cheaper than what I would have paid for a good size pre-fab shed. I checked out sheds AND pre-fab coops and just didn't find anything that wasn't expensive for the size I needed.