At what point do my chickens know when it’s time to go in the coop?

[2006powerstroke90]

I have 2 16 week old chickens and 6 chicks waiting a few more weeks to be introduced to the coop.

I’m just curious as to when the 2 16 week olds will know when it’s time for bed? So far, every night I’ve had to pick them up and put them to sleep in their “nesting boxes”

I’ve had them for about a week now so this is all new to me.

 

[InterestingChickens]

Is it easy for them to get up to the coup? If you keep on picking them up they should eventually get the hang of it.

 

[2006powerstroke90]

There are a set of stairs and when I walk into the coupe they have no problem getting up the stairs. But once they get to the top they jump down. I guess I’ll have to keep putting them in there until they get the hang of it

 

[Kluckners]

They should generally sleep on a roosting bar, not in the nesting boxes. The boxes are for them to lay their eggs.

For the first week or so, I had to put them into the coop and on the roosting bar, and then they got the hang of it.

 

[tsperry88]

I would not put them in their nesting boxes. Most people work hard to keep them out except for egg laying. If your roost is the highest point, they should choose that once they are old enough to want to roost at night. I locked mine in the coop for a week, and they always wanted to return at night after that. At 16 weeks though, I doubt they would appreciate being "cooped" up for a week

 

[Stepnout]

I have 2 16 week old chickens and 6 chicks waiting a few more weeks to be introduced to the coop.

I’m just curious as to when the 2 16 week olds will know when it’s time for bed? So far, every night I’ve had to pick them up and put them to sleep in their “nesting boxes”

I’ve had them for about a week now so this is all new to me.

Do you have a roosting bar in the coop? I think most prefer the birds roost on a bar not in the nest box. If the roost/sleep in the nest box they will POOP IN IT ALL NIGHT LONG! Then you will have filthy eggs.
Just my thoughts.

 

[rosemarythyme]

As others noted, roosts are for sleeping, not nest boxes.

Any photos of the coop inside and out? You mentioned stairs to get in (for the chicken door?) but have you ever seen the chickens actually go in from that? My "training" now simply consists of chasing the chicks in and out of the coop a couple of times, and that's it, but I have adult birds so that makes a difference.

 

[2006powerstroke90]

Sorry guys, as I stated I’m new to all of this, yes my coop has 3 roosting bars....I wasn’t aware they should sleep on the bars. Tonight I will place them on the roosting bars. I actually don’t have any pictures on the coop on my phone. I will take some tonight. But the roosting bars and the nest boxes are in the same room. From what I read online the chickens should naturally want to sleep on the bars to keep off the ground/floor while sleeping

 

[Stepnout]

You mentioned stairs. Maybe build a ramp. Just a board with wooden cleats will work or a board with an old roofing shingle will give them traction to walk up. They’ll figure it out.

 

[KarynVA]

I just introduced my 14-week old chickens to the coop (due to reasons beyond my control the coop was delayed in being constructed). I blocked access to the nesting boxes, and have a roosting bar (higher than the boxes), and food and water inside the coop (in non-spill feeders). I put them in the coop in the evening the first day and they got up on the roosting bar within an hour after that.

It was fun to watch them jostling for position on the roosting bar. I'll keep them inside the coop for at least 5 days before opening the pop door for them to go into the run. Hopefully, by then they will be habituated to the coop and the roosting bar and will automatically go there at sundown. That's MY plan, anyway - the chickens may not play along!