first night in the new coop

[sharol]

Tonight was my 7 18 week old girls' first night in their new coop. They have gone from 4x4 to 6x8, so they have lots more room.

My problem was getting them up the ramp into the coop -- they were on ground floor in the small one. I tried bribing them, but they stole the bread off the side of the ramp. Finally, I cornered them one at a time and put them through the pop door. My DH blocked the opening to keep them in while I caught the next ones. They didn't seem terribly upset about it, just really leary of the ramp.

I was worried that they wouldn't find the roosts (I have one at 2' and a second one at about 4'). I sat with them in the coop (it was SOOOO nice to have room to sit with them) for a little while after we closed the pop-door. They seemed to be discussing the new digs pretty thoroughly. I put some of them on the shelf with the feeder and a couple of others flew up to the top of the nest boxes. I left them a couple of solar lights so that they could see to get up to the roosts if they wanted to. So, I went out to check on them a little while ago, and there they were, 4 on the east end of the 4' roost and the other 3 on the west end of the same roost.

Can you say overprotective mother?

http://picasaweb.google.com/sharol46/CoopProgress# is where the pictures are of the coop progress.

 

[amydzek]

my little girls are spending their first night outside too... I have been told they will be fine, I am sure your girls will be too! and I know what you mean about the ramp... they do not want to go up!!

 

[bills]

When I first got hens, I put them directly into the coop, rather than in the run, and kept them inside for a few days, so they would know where their food and water was. The first day I opened the chicken door, they kind of hung back a bit from going outside, but before long one of the brave ones stepped outside, naturally the rest followed. They spent most of that first day moving back and forth from the run, to the coop. At dusk they all headed inside on their own.

I think the trick is to introduce them to the coop first, then they know it's safe, and sound.

 

[sharol]

This morning when I let them into the run, they were all glad to be out. They helped me with the wire I'm putting in to reinforce the fence and secure the under - coop access. I caught them (they didn't argue with me this time) and put each one half way up on the ramp, and every one went in without an arguments.

Then about 11:00 (their usual going in time (from free ranging in the yard) in the little coop) I went out, and all but one had put themselves back in the coop. they were scratching around and dozing in the shavings. The one laggard, I caught and cuddled a bit and put on the ramp and she went in too.

I'm not going to let them out in the yard (out of their run) for a couple of days (or until their routine gets better re-established), but so far, so good.

Judging from the poo in the coop, they all slept on the upper roost. I hate cecal poo on roost bars. Oh, well.