Chickens don't like being outside?

[AtlantisPeeps]

5 days ago I bought four hens and a rooster. My first chickens. They have a nice coop, and a large run (They don't free roam due to the predators here). I have noticed that they don't go out of the coop into their run. It's strange. You have to force them to go outside. And the hens haven't started laying yet. I'm confused. They don't NEED to go outside I just find it's a little weird that they aren't out there scratching around...

 

[centrarchid]

Show a picture of your setup.

 

[Shido Burrito]

How old are they? I recently moved my 7 week old hens outside and they stayed in the coop for the first couple of days, I had to coax them out with treats. Finally the other day they came out on their own. I think the coop seems like a safe, enclosed space and they're taking their time exploring the coop and getting to know it before they take on the Big Outside. Same with the egg laying; if they're old enough but not laying yet, it might be due to stress and take a while for them to calm down and get comfortable before laying again.

Where did you buy them from? What kind of environment were they in before?

 

[centrarchid]

Age also important but until adults hens best referred to has pullets or better yet chicks and juveniles. Huge differences in behavior are associated with different age groups and using age specific terms facilitates communication.

 

[AtlantisPeeps]

Here it is

 

[AtlantisPeeps]

And I really don't know much about them or where they came. All I know is there are full grown adults

 

[centrarchid]

Setup is very nice.

Are you giving them feed and water within the building? If yes, then move it outside, initially to the base of the ramp. Birds will come out.