Need Ideas!!
So here is what is going on. We changed a lot of things last week but now our chickens won't put themselves to bed.
We changed out Oreo the rooster for one of my brothers older hen, Amy.
We took the heat lamp (red light) out but replaced it for a white light on a timer so that Amy will keep laying.
The hens were sleeping in the nest box before so we had blocked them because they were not using them for anything but sleeping in anyhow last week we opened them back up because Amy uses them.
We took out the perch that they were not using and went back to the duel level one that they had used before.

So in YOUR opinion what do you think the problem is?
I am worried that Amy maybe the problem. Maybe Oreo was taking charge and putting the girls to bed? Maybe Amy is scolding the silly hens for trying to sleep in the nest boxes? Although I have not seen her do it.

What do you think??
Have you had hens that don't put themselves to bed??

Panda wrote:
That's a pretty unique issue but I would bet it is the light. Do you have it on all night long or do you have a turn off of a certain time? White light can simulate sunlight really easily with chickens.

Also, what are they doing while up? Are they having trouble during the day or anything?

During the day they are free ranging all over the yard. There is one lil problem with that when it starts to get dusk. Out by the bunny barn there is a big light that comes on and even before if they would get caught over on that side of the house they would just sit in the light there and were too afraid to go around the house to the coop where their light was on. But right before dusk we lead them over to the correct side of the house and then they usually find their way to the chicken yard. but now they are just hanging out in the chicken yard even if the only light out there is from the coop.
We are going to see if putting the red (heat lamp) back helps them tonight.
The light is on a timer that goes out around 10ish.

Panda wrote:

Are you keeping it on the late for a reason Panda? Like your trying to increase egg production or something? Too cold? I have never put light up for my girls and they go to bed like clock work:)

I think the light my be the issue. Keep us up to date my friend!

We had read someplace that a light is needed to keep egg production during the winter months.
Before we had Amy we had the heat lamp in the chicken coop for the lil chickens and at one point we turned it off and the silly chickens would not put themselves to bed. So we put the lamp on a timer that was only on until about 8ish just so they put themselves to bed. Then we got the cold weather so we turned the water nipples off so they wouldn't freeze and put in an old fashioned water jug with the heat lamp on it to keep it liquid.
Then it warmed up and we got Amy so changed the lamp to a regular light bulb.

So tonight we may have found something out. We put the heat bulb back into the lamp and 4 of the chickens were all in the coop but Amy still in the yard when I went out to close them in. I closed the door and had a talk with Amy *giggling* I know talking to the chicken. I told her that she has to get inside when it is dark lol then I opened the door... went and took care of the Rabbits and came back and everyone was perched and ready for bed.
We bought a red bulb that we will try tomorrow to see if that works with out the heat lamp, Hope it works.

Let me know:)

So the chickens all got stuck at the light on the other side of the house again but they joyfully followed me and my bag of BOSS to the chicken yard I closed them in the yard and took care of the rabbits, came back and they had all put themselves in the coop. Yeaaaa I am going to call that pretty much a success! This was with the red bulb, not the heat lamp. It is pretty dim but enough for them to go into the coop and hopefully enough to keep Amy laying eggs for us.

I really love the eggs our girl leaves for us and looking forward to the rest of them starting to lay *smile*

Panda wrote:
Awesome Panda! Soon you will have so many eggs you will be giving them away:)

Chickens are creatures of habit. Any changes really upsets their sense of balance in their universe! The fact that you made changes and the issue with light REALLY upset their little universe. Yes, they will even stop laying when this happens. Once you adjusted the light and they got oriented to the changes they are now balanced in their sensory perception. I use dog carriers for nests and I had changed them around so they wouldn't be so hot during summertime. WELL! I didn't get any eggs for TWO days, even my faithful golden comets stopped! . But then they decided it was ok and every thing resumed it's normal chicken world. UNTIL I moved the crates again so they would be warmer this winter. They took a look and I'm assuming they like this arrangement better because we didn't get the loud chicken noises and much cackling as before. Only Goldie (golden comet) was laying though. Henny Penny (barred rock) resumed after a few days. I must clean out the carriers every day because in this cold weather several of them roost together in the nests. Which is a good thing, they keep each other warm.
FYI: The best plan when raising chickens is ask yourself what would they do in if they were wild? They would roost in trees, in groups, they would go to roost when the sun set. They would huddle together for warmth, they would forage for seeds, live food. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. Most chickens will lay without added light, especially some of the hybrids. And people who heat their chicken houses are not doing their fowl any favors. That added heat messes with their natural adaption process and they suffer because of it. Of course if it's -degrees outside that's a different situation but the heat should be no warmer than 30*to 40* in their roost. I was raised on a farm and my gramma never did anything for her chickens in the wintertime and she never lost any of them.

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