advice on hens roosting outisde their coop?

[surffisher]

I recently added a rooster and hen to my existing flock of three hens. Currently, only the rooster and two of the older hens will roost (sleep) inside of their coop. The other two (the new hen and one old hen) roost in trees outside of the coop and their fenced run. Kind of a problem, since they haven't figured out how to get back into the run where they are protected and have access to food, water, etc. Any suggestions for how to get the two wayward hens back to roosting in the coop again? I have been going out every night and carrying them back to the coop and then locking it up till morning, but the next night they are back in their roosting trees again.

thanks for any advice!

 

[ellie32526]

I recently added a rooster and hen to my existing flock of three hens. Currently, only the rooster and two of the older hens will roost (sleep) inside of their coop. The other two (the new hen and one old hen) roost in trees outside of the coop and their fenced run. Kind of a problem, since they haven't figured out how to get back into the run where they are protected and have access to food, water, etc. Any suggestions for how to get the two wayward hens back to roosting in the coop again? I have been going out every night and carrying them back to the coop and then locking it up till morning, but the next night they are back in their roosting trees again.

thanks for any advice!

The rooster should be getting them to come inside, but I would lock them in for a whole day before it starts getting too hot to do so. When mine outgrew the brooder I moved them into the henhouse but did not let them outside until they were fully feathered. So they got used to their henhouse and usually go in by themselves when it starts to get dark. I turn a night light on at dusk. My goofy birds don't like to go inside the dark henhouse. Then I go back after dinner and they are all nestled in, so I close the pop door, turn out the night light and tell them good night.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Possibly the addition of the rooster and hen upset their living arrangements a bit. I'd try "coop training" where they're kept inside the coop for several days to even a week so that they learn that the coop is home base. I did that with mine for four days when we moved them into a new coop and they never once tried to go back to the old one. Everyone returned to the new coop at sundown to roost.

Good luck!

 

[ellie32526]

Possibly the addition of the rooster and hen upset their living arrangements a bit. I'd try "coop training" where they're kept inside the coop for several days to even a week so that they learn that the coop is home base. I did that with mine for four days when we moved them into a new coop and they never once tried to go back to the old one. Everyone returned to the new coop at sundown to roost.

Good luck!

WOW! really nice job on the coop.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

WOW! really nice job on the coop.

Thanks! The girls - and I - love it. Husband outdid himself!

 

[surffisher]

Thanks for the responses. Locking them up was my first instinct, but it's nice to have the confirmation. Yeah, our rooster is, shall we say, a bit passive...but we have a youngin and another on the way, and he is good natured. He's young too, so maybe he will grow into his role some more in the future.

thanks again!