Chickens won't come home to roost!

[kotwica]

I built a raised coop with a run under and beside the coop. My six-week old Rhode Island reds will come down the ramp if they are cooped up for the night, but if I don't put them into the coop, they won't go UP the ramp to their coop area!!! They will huddle in the run under the ramp all night! How can I get them to go back up the ramp to roost at night?

 

[sourland]

Continue to put them in the coop each night. They will eventully get the idea -chickens are generally slow learners.

 

[kotwica]

Well, I put them in the coop for two more days, and surprisingly today, three of them went up into the coop on their own! The other three had to be shown, but I am more optimistic that they'll all figure it out soon!

 

[Scott H]

Took mine three days of putting them in and about a week longer before they actually started using the roost in the coop. They'll all get it.

 

[MarcoPollo]

I remember having to train our chicks to go up to the coop at night. We used a little scratch to get them to go up at night, then we'd close the door to the coop. They all figured it out after a few weeks. Prior to that I would go outside at night with a flashlight and find the little sillies under the coop in the dark.