Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Does anyone have experience with hens huddling by the coop door when they go in at night? Our Black Sex-Links really crowd by the door, still at least 1 (we are making progress) sitting out almost onto the ramp. Only 1 or 2 use the perch. It is a free standing perch with a flat surface like a 2x4, a change from the large tree branch, which was also a change from the original 2 attached to the walls of the coop.

Is your coop dark? If the coop gets really dark before they come in they sometimes want to stay near the fading light.

If there's something in there making them nervous, they will stay near the door as an exit strategy. It's probably just that you added new, unfamiliar stuff...but make sure there's not a rat helping himself to your chicken food. They can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel.

Is air in coop stale . How's ventalation ? How high is roost maybe needs lowering . Just a few . Luck

If you can turn a light on in the coop...that would solve the light issue. Also check that the roosts dont have any critters-some mites or ants....
And that there isnt a draft over thè roosts....and rats etc.
So basically i guess " what they said up there" lol

Hmm...
1. We have had a flashlight shining through one of the triangular shaped vents where the roof meets the wall.
2. They have to go in further and walk by the roost to lay eggs in the nesting boxes.
3. I clean the coop regularly. But since they had bumblefoot, I put in more bedding (not quite to deep bedding specs as the floor is a removable tray) and pick out the large droppings on the surface and mix up the rest of the bedding.
It's slowly getting better with all getting into the coop at night even without using the flashlight. Maybe I should have a brighter flashlight? Or are they just incredibly slow learners?

whenever I have birds that wont roost I just pick them up and put them on the roost in the dark, eventually they seem to do it on there own. I wont move them with the light on cuz it might wake them and everyone elze in the coop up.

I recently got a nice little rooster that took a week to learn where his roost is, here I was every night moving him to his roost with his new girls.

thegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST whenever I have birds that wont roost I just pick them up and put them on the roost in the dark, eventually they seem to do it on there own. I wont move them with the light on cuz it might wake them and everyone elze in the coop up.

I recently got a nice little rooster that took a week to learn where his roost is, here I was every night moving him to his roost with his new girls.

Sounds like a good strategy; however, our coops are not walk-in coops.

neither is my little one with the Banties, I had to crawl in to grab him. LOL.

KimChick wrote:QR_BBPOST

thegawd wrote:QR_BBPOST whenever I have birds that wont roost I just pick them up and put them on the roost in the dark, eventually they seem to do it on there own. I wont move them with the light on cuz it might wake them and everyone elze in the coop up.

I recently got a nice little rooster that took a week to learn where his roost is, here I was every night moving him to his roost with his new girls.

Sounds like a good strategy; however, our coops are not walk-in coops.

If your coops aren't walk-in, it could very well be a ventilation problem, as Ross suggested. Have you done a “stick your head inside and sniff” test? If the air inside smells bad or damp or stuffy to you, there's likely not enough air circulation and/or too much moisture and ammonia buildup. Chickens have very sensitive respiratory systems, so they may not be getting enough fresh air.
How to the coop bedding are your roosts? How much clearance do they have from the roof of the coop?