7 week old chickens won't go into coop at night

[jlifton852]

I moved my 7 week old chickens to a elevated coop with a ladder to an enclosed run. I put the chickens into the coop for a day and then opened the door to the run. They would not go outside. After a few hours I "encouraged" them out side. Now they will not go in at night. They slept outside all huddled up. How do I get them to go in at night and out in the morning?

 

[BrittBergh]

It will become habit for them just give them some time. In the beginning (like the first few days to a week) we had to encourage ours outside the coop and literally lift them up the ramp into the roosting areas so that they 'knew' what to do. Now every morning I go out and feed them and they cluck wildly at me to get out and right at sundown you can watch them one by one go to bed! It is so cute...just encourage them a little and before you know it they will just do it from habit.

 

[Bens-Hens]

I have had a similar issue. Every night on dusk I go down to the coop and pick up 6 chickens from the corner and stick them on the roost.

Been a week now, hope they get the idea soon, either that or they figured out someone does the work for them if they just sit in the corner and wait long enough!

I have read some take a MONTH! others just a few times. I used to have some older rescue birds, they never got the idea of roosting, always found them in the nesting boxes, this time I wired the nest boxes off until the pullets are close to laying. Don't want any bad habits forming!