Not going into the coop…

[teachchickmi]

Hey all!

Hi!

We have six pullets. We bought them all March 10… As of right now, three are laying. They had been going into the coop without problem for 1.5-2 months and now all of a sudden they are staying outside (ontop of their coop). This has been going on for about a week now. I did change the bedding and have sprayed for mites / flies so I don’t think that’s it… It’s a bit humid and we did have the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl with major flooding… I was wondering what else could be a problem? No lighting has changed. Could it be trauma from the flood and/or Fourth of July lingering? HELP…I’m stumped.

We have a camera out there and I have not seen any predator or anything that leads me to believe there is a predator lurking around… I’m leaning toward this is a habit I’m going to need to break, so what are your tips for that? Thank you!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How big is the coop, in feet? Is it possible that, at 4 months, they have outgrown it?

 

[teachchickmi]

About 42 inches long, 41 inches wide, and 50 inches tall…

How big is the coop, in feet? Is it possible that, at 4 months, they have outgrown it?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm going to round that up to feet and be generous. 4' x 3' . Height doesn't matter. Floor space matters. You have about 12 sq ft of floor space. To be comfortable, your chickens need about 4 sq ft each. Twelve feet divided by 4 feet means you have room for three chickens. That's why they're sleeping on top of your coop instead of inside. It's too crowded, I'm sorry.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You could MAYBE get 4 chickens to sleep in there.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm going to round that up to feet and be generous. 4' x 3' . Height doesn't matter. Floor space matters. You have about 12 sq ft of floor space. To be comfortable, your chickens need about 4 sq ft each. Twelve feet divided by 4 feet means you have room for three chickens. That's why they're sleeping on top of your coop instead of inside. It's too crowded, I'm sorry.

Height does play a factor but in a different way. Equally important to floor space, how well ventilated is it and how hot is it where you're at? Prefabs are notorious for being under ventilated, and a hot, stuffy coop is not going to appeal to any chickens.

Ideally you want around 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird open 24/7 in moderate climates.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Height does play a factor but in a different way. Equally important to floor space, how well ventilated is it and how hot is it where you're at? Prefabs are notorious for being under ventilated, and a hot, stuffy coop is not going to appeal to any chickens.

Ideally you want around 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird open 24/7 in moderate climates.

Good point, thanks rosemary.

 

[teachchickmi]

I'm going to round that up to feet and be generous. 4' x 3' . Height doesn't matter. Floor space matters. You have about 12 sq ft of floor space. To be comfortable, your chickens need about 4 sq ft each. Twelve feet divided by 4 feet means you have room for three chickens. That's why they're sleeping on top of your coop instead of inside. It's too crowded, I'm sorry.

Thank you!!! That’s what I was thinking too… Gotta convince my husband to buy some extension.

 

[teachchickmi]

Height does play a factor but in a different way. Equally important to floor space, how well ventilated is it and how hot is it where you're at? Prefabs are notorious for being under ventilated, and a hot, stuffy coop is not going to appeal to any chickens.

Ideally you want around 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird open 24/7 in moderate climates.

it has fans, been about 80-85 at daytime and then 60 at night.

 

[aart]

it has fans, been about 80-85 at daytime and then 60 at night.

Do you have a thermometer inside the coop?
Not sure how you'd put fans inside such a tiny coop.
Got pics?