Any ideas on HOW to get my girls to go and STAY outside?

[Cattle dog Mom]

That is such a nice big space!

I know mine will head indoors for days and days if they have seen a hawk. The hiding spots really do help.

Your birds look pretty young yet. They'll get there eventually. My latest group of pullets refused to leave the house for weeks too. If there were adults to show them how to do things it wouldn't take so long lol.

Breaking up some soil will make it more enticing. Now my crazy birds all come running if I have a shovel in hand.

Thank you. It was my turkey shelter/run until I decided to get the Java's. I turned my 3 sided horse shelter into a turkey shelter and built them a 900SF covered run. (I no longer have horses so I had the stall and shelter doing NOTHING.)

They are roughly 6ish months old. (So yes, young)

Believe me, I have thought several times about getting an older hen or 2 to "show them the ropes". But figured that would be more hassle than it is worth in the long run.

It is also "big sky' country here even though I'm not in Montana. LOL You (and of course the birds) can see a LONG ways. And we do have ravens, hawks and bald eagles. And Pterodactyls! (Which is what my turkeys seem to think airplanes at 30K feet are! LOL)

 

[Vacman]

Oh, I see now - the yard is too sparsely populated for them, they don't feel safe. They need things to hide under, things to hop up on. Got an old picnic table, or patio set not being used? That would help. I like to put up corner roosts, maybe bury an old tire to jump up on. Lots of opportunity for enrichment, in an enclosure that big!

I hadn't thought of this, but I agree. I have one of those huge metal roosters sold at TSC, and yesterday as I passed the coop area, I saw all 5 of my hens hiding under the rooster. It didn't occur to me at the time that that's what they were doing.

 

[aart]

Yep. They come out for "chum".

Bout spit my coffee out!

Yeah, more clutter in the run....and give them time.
Good ideas for 'hiding' places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Queen of Chaos Ranch]

I have 4 mottled Java pullets roughly 6 ish months old. They REFUSE to go and stay outside. They will come out for a little while, but then right back inside they go. Keep in mind that they have as much or more room INSIDE as some peoples do outside. ("Inside is a12x12 ex horse stall. Run is roughly 3+ times that size.) I HAVE only had them for about 5 weeks. I thought maybe they would "get over it" eventually and want to spend more time out in the run, but so far it is NOT happening. Short of locking their butts out, any other suggestions? (Or do I just need to give them more time?) I swear they are the only chickens in the WORLD that now have grass and weeds growing in the run! LOL

My hens like to stay in the shade. They move around according to the sun’s position.

 

[AverellFarms]

Is the run uncovered? They may feel vulnerable to overhead attacks.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

I can think of quite a few reasons they may not like to stay outside. Is the food and water inside the coop? If so, thats probably the biggest reason. Chickens like to forage all day. If there is nothing for them to forage out in the run, they have no use for it out there really. Aside from that, they may notice hawks or other overhead preditors, since their is no overhead protection. Is there shade out in the run? Even if its not hot outside, chickens still tend to linger where the shade is. What kind of enclosure were they in before you acquired them? For only having them 5 weeks, they may just feel safer and more comfortable in the coop, being theres only 4 of them. It's safer, familiar, pleanty of room for them, etc. Especially if the food is inside the coop, they really don't have no use or reason to go out. Locking them out there will get them used to it, but with no overhead protection, its risky.

 

[joydix]

Another idea, either place some sod in some parts of the run or even some fresh grass clippings when you mow, they will love it!

Put a log or two in there, a large branch they can get under and on top,of. They need something interesting! Hang a cabbage from the top they can peck at. Maybe an old ladder? Some color?

 

[BellasBackyardRanch]

Get them something to get under, some dirt to dust bathe in and some shaded areas outside. Then they should come out as often or even more often as they go in, shaded areas are needed outside because if not they could dehydrate but because they have an indoor space they just go indoors instead of staying out in the sun.

 

[Tilhana]

If you've followed all the suggestions about putting stuff in the run for them to hide under, jump on, and scratch in, you could also try locking them out, just for a few days. Make sure they have everything they need in the run, obviously, and then force them to acclimate. You said they do come out a bit, so it doesn't sound like they're afraid or unduly stressed out in the run, they just prefer the coop. But if you make them hang out for a couple days outside, either they'll get used to it and start forming habits out there, or you'll have time to observe their behavior and figure out if there's something that's upsetting them or that they seem to be lacking, and then you can address it. Maybe theres an animal that's scaring them back inside, or they're having trouble reaching the waterer that's outside, or something else you haven't thought of.

Also, as I recall, when I purchased my first birds as pullets I think they were also a bit reluctant to leave the coop. There was definitely an acclimation process, and I think I just lured them out with food in the morning and locked the door behind them until late afternoon until they got used to being outside. How long have you had them and/or been observing this behavior?

 

[JHH3]

Give them time, my chickens at that age didn't want to come out of the coop unless it was shady, they didn't like the sunshine. Then one day I found a few of them laying on their sides in the sun, sunbathing. Now they'll come out, though they still prefer it to be a little shady. They're young and they're "chicken", it's a big scary world out there with all sorts of scary things.

One thing that might get them interested in coming out is if you took a shovel or fork and turned the soil so they have something soft and interesting to pick through. Bonus if there are worms exposed.