If you're wondering why won't my chickens go into the coop at night, you're not alone — it's one of the most common frustrations for new keepers, and it almost always has a simple, fixable cause. Stand in the garden at dusk watching your hens pile into a corner of the run instead of trotting up the ramp, and it can feel as though they've taken against their lovely coop. They haven't. They just haven't yet learned that this is their bedroom.
Short answer: chickens won't go in the coop at night mainly because they haven't yet learned it's their roost (especially a new coop or new flock), they prefer a higher or more familiar spot, or something inside is putting them off — damp, a draught, red mites, too little light or not enough perch. Give them a short settling-in period, lift them onto the perch after dark for a few nights, and make sure the coop is dry, draught-free, mite-free and inviting.
Why won't my chickens go into the coop at night?
Chickens are creatures of strong routine, and at dusk their roosting instinct kicks in — they look for the safest, highest place they know to settle for the night. The trouble is that a brand-new coop, or one that's just been moved, isn't yet "the safest place they know." Until they've learned it, they'll often default to wherever they roosted before: a perch in the old coop, a fence rail, a tree branch, or simply the corner of the run where they feel huddled and secure.
Here are the most common reasons chickens won't go in the coop at night:
- They haven't learned it's their roost yet. This is by far the most common cause with a new coop or a newly mixed flock. Roosting is a learned habit tied to place, and it takes a few nights to form.
- They prefer a higher or more familiar spot. Hens instinctively want to roost up high. If a fence, branch or run frame is higher than the coop's perch, that's where they'll head.
- Something inside is putting them off. Hens are sensitive to their sleeping quarters. Damp bedding, a cold draught, a red mite infestation, a coop that's too dark inside, or not enough perch space will all make them avoid going in.
- The coop has just moved. Even shifting the same coop a few metres can throw them — in a chicken's world, the location is part of "home."
How to get chickens to go in the coop: a settling-in period
The single most reliable fix is patience plus a short, deliberate settling-in routine. When you first introduce a new coop — or a new flock to an existing coop — keep the birds confined to the coop and its attached run for the first few days so the coop becomes the centre of their world. Placing the coop inside or right beside the run helps enormously: it lets your hens associate the new structure with familiar surroundings rather than treating it as somewhere strange.
For more on doing this calmly and without stressful confinement, see our guide on how to train chickens to use a coop without stress or confinement.
Training chickens to roost in the coop: place them on the perch after dark
If a few nights of settling in haven't done the trick, the most effective hands-on method is to put the birds where you want them to sleep. For the first three to five nights (this can vary by breed and temperament), visit the coop after dark with a torch:
- Check where each hen has settled — by the door, in a run corner, or up on the perch.
- Gently lift any birds that have roosted in the wrong place and set them on the coop perch. Chickens go quiet and compliant once it's properly dark, so this is calmer than it sounds.
- Repeat night after night. Waking up inside the coop, on the perch, teaches them that this is "home" far faster than daytime coaxing.
Within a week, most flocks will be taking themselves up to roost. It really is a learned habit: it isn't that they dislike the coop, they simply need to be shown a few times that it's their bedroom. Remember that the coop is sleeping and egg-laying quarters, not where hens spend their day — so don't worry that a snug coop feels small. Your birds will spend daylight out in the run and only head in to roost at night.
Use the dusk roosting instinct (and an automatic door)
You can work with your hens' natural rhythm rather than against it. Chickens settle as the light fades, so the window just before dusk is when they're most willing to head in. Scattering a few mealworms or their evening feed inside the coop at this time gives them a reason to go up the ramp themselves.
A light-sensor automatic chicken coop door opener takes this a step further: once the birds have learned to roost, the door closes automatically after they've gone in at dusk and opens again at dawn, so they're shut in safely from predators without you needing to be there every evening. It's worth getting the routine established first, then letting the door do the work — you can read more about the benefits of an automatic door for chicken coops. Getting the timing right also matters, which we cover in what's the best time to put chickens in the coop.
Check the coop isn't putting them off
If your chickens still won't go in once they've had time to learn, it's worth checking that the coop itself isn't the problem. Hens won't willingly sleep somewhere uncomfortable. Run through this list:
- Is it dry and draught-free? Damp bedding or a cold draught across the perch will drive birds out. Make sure the coop is weatherproof and the ventilation lets air move above the birds, not over them.
- Any sign of red mite? A red mite infestation is one of the most common reasons hens suddenly refuse to roost — the mites bite at night and the birds learn to avoid the coop. Learn how to spot them in our guide on how to check your hen for lice and red mites. Nestera's recycled-plastic coops are naturally red-mite resistant because there are no porous timber cracks for mites to hide in.
- Is there enough perch? Aim for 20–30 cm of perch per bird. Too little space means lower-ranking hens get pushed off and roost elsewhere.
- Is it too dark inside? Some hens hesitate at a pitch-black entrance. A coop with a little natural light, or settling them in before full dark, helps.
For background on how the pecking order affects who roosts where, see how flock hierarchy works with chickens.
This article is about getting hens to go in at night. If your problem is the opposite — new birds that won't come out of the coop — we cover that separately in getting new chickens to leave the coop.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to train chickens to go in the coop?
Most flocks learn within three to seven nights of being placed on the perch after dark and confined to the coop and run during the settling-in period. Some breeds take a little longer, but a week of consistent routine is enough for the great majority.
Why do my chickens sleep in the run instead of the coop?
Usually because they haven't yet learned the coop is their roost, or because a corner of the run feels higher, more familiar or more secure. Lifting them onto the coop perch each night for a few nights normally breaks the habit. If it doesn't, check the coop for damp, draughts or red mite.
Will an automatic door make my chickens go in?
An automatic door won't teach an untrained bird to roost — you need to establish the habit first. Once your hens reliably go in at dusk, a light-sensor door shuts them in safely each night and opens at dawn, which is a brilliant labour-saver and a strong layer of predator protection.
Is it bad if the coop seems small?
Not at all, provided every bird can roost (20–30 cm of perch each) and nest (one box per three to four hens) comfortably, with good ventilation and dryness. A coop is overnight sleeping and laying quarters, not daytime living space — your hens spend the day in the run or free-ranging. A snug coop is actually warmer, as the birds share body heat on the perch.
Patience is everything here: chickens, much like us, resist change at first, but with a short settling-in period and a few nights of gentle guidance they'll soon take themselves up to roost. If you're setting up a flock and want a dry, draught-free, red-mite-resistant home that hens learn to love, explore the Nestera recycled-plastic chicken coops, and pair one with an automatic door opener to keep them safe at night without the evening dash up the garden.
