Advice on Transitioning from Brooder to Coop

[North_FL_Coops]

Hi, All!
Need advice on transiting my four white leghorn chicks from our inside brooder to our Omlet Eglu. The little dinosaurs are getting feathered up and the weather is warming (I'm in North Florida), so I think it's almost time for them to move into their new digs.

Some of the advice I've seen in the forums here says to simply stick them in the coop and leave them locked in from anywhere between a few days to a week. However, the Omlet Eglu doesn't have windows, just the vents, and it feels cruel to lock in them in a dark coop for an extended period.

I was thinking that I might move them out in the evening and put them in the coop with their food and water overnight, then let them out the next morning to explore the run. I doubt I can catch them to put them back in at night, but at least they would have a start out there. Also, is it okay to have their food and water inside the coop for a few days until they acclimate?

I'd appreciate any suggestions/advice on this. Thanks!

 

[thecatumbrella]

I'm an Eglu user and have transitioned one group. Few tips that worked for us.

- Take out the roosting rack and put bedding in the bottom tray that matches whatever's in their brooder. They like to sleep in a puddle for a few weeks anyway before learning to roost.
- When you bring them out to the pen for field trips, put them into the Eglu through the back. Give them a minute, then open the front door and let them walk down into the pen.
- Encourage them to explore the Eglu during the day. Open it up, offer some treats inside, etc.
- When the big day came, we had to literally stuff them into the coop one at a time. Two people makes this much easier. They cried quite a bit, but eventually settled down for the night. The next night, 3 out of 4 went in on their own. We had to help the last one for a couple nights, but always gave her a chance to figure it out on her own.

Don't put food and water in there. You should only shut them in if it's bed time. Like you said, the Omlet's not a traditional coop and it's cruel to keep them in there longer than they need to be.

Good luck! I'll be training myself this week with our new group.

 

[Pellers]

I also have an Eglu and I'm currently using it for my 4 chicks. Mine has the attached run. They've been staying out for about 3-4 nights now and haven't quite gotten the hang of going in at night but I just climb in the run and grab em up once they settle down for the evening (usually in the back of the run right under the coop). Last night I actually just got my husband to help me and I pulled out the tray, picked them up, handed them to him, and then replaced the tray, placed them inside, and closed the back door. Once they are integrated with my flock, they will probably get the idea of going to bed a little more easily.

You could leave them in there for a night and most of a day, I would do it now before the weather gets too hot. They should get the hang of it.

 

[North_FL_Coops]

I'm an Eglu user and have transitioned one group. Few tips that worked for us.

- Take out the roosting rack and put bedding in the bottom tray that matches whatever's in their brooder. They like to sleep in a puddle for a few weeks anyway before learning to roost.
- When you bring them out to the pen for field trips, put them into the Eglu through the back. Give them a minute, then open the front door and let them walk down into the pen.
- Encourage them to explore the Eglu during the day. Open it up, offer some treats inside, etc.
- When the big day came, we had to literally stuff them into the coop one at a time. Two people makes this much easier. They cried quite a bit, but eventually settled down for the night. The next night, 3 out of 4 went in on their own. We had to help the last one for a couple nights, but always gave her a chance to figure it out on her own.

Don't put food and water in there. You should only shut them in if it's bed time. Like you said, the Omlet's not a traditional coop and it's cruel to keep them in there longer than they need to be.

Good luck! I'll be training myself this week with our new group.

Thanks so much for the detailed response, my friend! This is both helpful and encouraging.

 

[North_FL_Coops]

I also have an Eglu and I'm currently using it for my 4 chicks. Mine has the attached run. They've been staying out for about 3-4 nights now and haven't quite gotten the hang of going in at night but I just climb in the run and grab em up once they settle down for the evening (usually in the back of the run right under the coop). Last night I actually just got my husband to help me and I pulled out the tray, picked them up, handed them to him, and then replaced the tray, placed them inside, and closed the back door. Once they are integrated with my flock, they will probably get the idea of going to bed a little more easily.

You could leave them in there for a night and most of a day, I would do it now before the weather gets too hot. They should get the hang of it.

That's what I figured I'd end up doing...crawling around the wrangle them up.

I'll probably start the field trips this week. Thanks for the feedback!