Adapting to New Digs - How Long Until . . . .

[Farmer Ken]

Maybe you could try picking them up at night and putting them inside the coop.(a few hours after dark) Don't try during the day as they are a bit spooked of you.

Try this a few time's. They will get used to going down the ramp in the morning and soon start going up the ramp at night.

Plus they will start trusting you.

 

[aart]

Glad to hear you got them into the coop, they'll be fine in there for a few days with food water and enough ventilation.
Always good to 'home' them to the coop itself at first...but they, and you, will adjust and figure it all out.

I hear ya about not be able to crawl around, I built everything for stand up maintenance, glad you found some help.

 

[aatx]

They should have a place to roost in the coop. Mine were roosting consistently by 6 weeks old, so if yours are 10 weeks old, they are certainly old enough to be roosting. A 2x4, where they can stand on the 4" side, is often recommended.

This was at 7 weeks old - 13 of the 17 were already using the top roost. Since then we have added a larger one so that everyone can be on the top roost.

 

[Keel]

So, it would be OK to leave them inside until the weekend say?

Used the time I usually spend just staring at them to take pics. It started drizzling and the lens kept fogging, ergo, not the best photos.


I got the tarp out with the idea of providing them more cover from the rain, but the panel that lifts up is the one next to the coop, if I cover it, I can't add food, water, etc. Duh!





Besides the obvious need for paint, I have to trim the shingles as well. My coworker who was kind enough to build it for me, when asked about painting and trimming the shingles joked "you've never worked with contractors before, have ya buddy?" He left that for me.


The nesting box opens outward, that is, the high part pulls back. I thought that was a great idea, that it would fling any water away from the inside. Then I realized I couldn't reach the center nesting box from over the roof, or from either side. Another DUH! Oh well, nothing a cinder block or two to step on won't cure.


The rope raises and lowers the ramp, which is pretty steep, and takes up about half the floor space. Another DUH! The way it is built, if one of the birds is sitting on the ramp when it gets lowered, well . . . . . . . . Also, could have used more floor space. Did it this way so I wouldn't have to hardware cloth a larger area next to the coop had a traditional opening been in the front. Another problem, though they served to get the tractor into place, and it is a behemoth, the wheels, well, suck! They need to be redesigned.


The Golden Girls


Left to Right: Gertrude, Myrtle (in back), Henrietta (front most), Hortense (tallest in pic) Loretta and Blanche.


They were roosting up here and looking out at me through the vent this morning about 7 a.m. Guess they aren't much on roosting during the day.

 

[7 Biddies]

I got the tarp out with the idea of providing them more cover from the rain, but the panel that lifts up is the one next to the coop, if I cover it, I can't add food, water, etc. Duh!

You could always drape the tarp over the frontmost end (where the handle is), letting it hang down in front, and not cover up the panel closest to the coop. This way they'll have sun or shade as they want. If it seems it might be too hot, don't hang it down the front so the air can circulate better. Experiment.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:

I got the tarp out with the idea of providing them more cover from the rain, but the panel that lifts up is the one next to the coop, if I cover it, I can't add food, water, etc. Duh!

You could always drape the tarp over the frontmost end (where the handle is), letting it hang down in front, and not cover up the panel closest to the coop. This way they'll have sun or shade as they want. If it seems it might be too hot, don't hang it down the front so the air can circulate better. Experiment.

It is cute thanks for sharing ..Chickens are cute too ...love the names .
You could drape the tarp over the area / coop . take it off / move it as needed .

 

[aatx]

Is the weather warm where you are? There's not much ventilation in the coop area. It could be too warm/still/humid for them or even a build up of ammonia odors. An opening above the nest box would allow you to get a bit of a cross breeze going.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Is the weather warm where you are? There's not much ventilation in the coop area. It could be too warm/still/humid for them or even a build up of ammonia odors. An opening above the nest box would allow you to get a bit of a cross breeze going.

GOOD POINT !
You could also put a small piece of wood under the roof to raise it for ventilation ...put something heavy on the roof or put hooks or some kind of fasteners to make it predator proof
So it can not be raised more .

 

[7 Biddies]

GOOD POINT !
You could also put a small piece of wood under the roof to raise it for ventilation ...put something heavy on the roof or put hooks or some kind of fasteners to make it predator proof
So it can not be raised more .

Excellent idea! I think they call those "lid stays"; some are simple with wing nuts to hold them in place, some more sophisticated. And, if there's a possibility of a critter (like a snake) getting in there, just cover the opening with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. That way you can open the lid even more and not worry about anything getting in.

 

[Keel]

While it can get humid here, the tractor is in a very cool spot, almost always in shade, and breezy, next to the woods. I had put another layer of pine shavings in this a.m. and didn't sense any discomfort or unpleasant odors. I'll keep this in mind and will let the ramp down earlier if I sense a problem. I don't have the skill or means to modify the coop in the manner suggested.

In fact, my next project is to go over the entire hardware cloth and use galvanized poultry stapes to secure it. My buddy who built it used a staple gun. After that, I will put in the PVC feeder I have built. Once that's done, I hope to convince the birds to get their water from a nipple watering system I have almost completed.