First night in the coup

[SC Marine]

Well after 2 weeks my girls did it on their own.

 

[CarolinaHen]

Well after 2 weeks my girls did it on their own.

Wooohooo!!! Congrats

 

[smcgill]

So now what are you going to worry about!
Great to hear.
My six are not ready yet, I'm thinking I'll be walking in your shoes soon!

 

[Gingersnap722]

Fantastic!

 

[spcwife]

I have just introduced my six new girls to the outdoors but am now having a huge problem with trying to motivate my rooster and three older hens to use a larger and newer coup. They refuse to go in at night and have actually made my back door step their bed for the night. Any ideas. Tonight im planning on herding them in and keeping them couped for a few days. Fingers crossed that will work. They are refusing to lay eggs but will use the coup to get food and water. I am very confused on their behavior and how to fix this issue. Someone please help.

 

[Soltaria]

Before I got chickens of my own I was put in charge of my neighbor's chickens while they were out of town. They all went into the coop every night and I would come in and lock it. One night we were out late and got back after the sun was down. Turned out if you weren't there to put them in the coop they would rather sleep on top of it :/ So even full grown chickens don't always cooperate.

 

[SC Marine]

I would try locking them in the coop a few nights along with the other tips recommended on this thread. I'm not exactly sure what did the trick, but my girls go in the coop on their own about 30min before sunset everyday. I do not even close the coop door anymore. I also added extra ventilation in the form of a "summer door. " pics to follow. This gives them some light at night as well.

 

[Gingersnap722]

I would physically put them in the coop each night until they start going in on their own. Sometimes it takes a while for them to catch on.

 

[SC Marine]

Just some updated pics of the girls an the summer door i installed for more ventilation an light.

 

[spcwife]

Thats so funny and yes I have noticed that they will do as they please at times. They make sure that you stay on your toes, thats for sure. I kept them all locked in the coup for twenty fours hours and now I have no problems. They go right in and my new group of hens follow right along. They are still not liking eachother much but the pecking order seems to have been established and I think that things will calm down once the new girls get a little bigger and they realize that they have no choice but to get along. Fingers crossed on that one.