These girls should go inside!

[djswett]

Ok, here's the deal.
We got two new chickens last week. A pair of gorgeous Plymouth Rocks. Right now I'm trying to keep them apart from our other chicken for a couple of weeks (i've heard over and over that one should quarentin new additions), so they've been hanging out inside one of those 'eglu' coops.
Well, what has been happening is that at night, they refuse to go inside the little coop, and they just want to stay out in the attached run. The temps here are coming down to the mid 20's at night, and I want them to get in there and cuddle and keep a bit warmer away from the cold dirt and the breeze, so each night I spend about half an hour poking them (softly) with a stick, trying to reach into the small door of the run, making noises and trying hard to make them understand that it's much nicer if they go in.
Maybe I shouldn't worry. Maybe nothing is gonna happen if they just stay out there? Maybe I should give up on the quarentine and just merge those girls into the bigger coop?
Does anyone here speak chicken?

Salud,
Bryan

 

[GraceAK]

Sometimes theyre scared to go in if it is dark. Is there a light in there? My chickens won't go in by themselves if it's dark.

I would be scared to go into a dark place like that too!

 

[Fanny]

If you wait until dark and they are not in, you should be able to pick them up without too much fuss if they are sleeping. Place them in the coop, and close it. Don't let them out until mid-morning. After one or two nights/mornings of this, they should recognize the coop as 'home' and go in there on their own.