Getting new birds and a new house-how to manage?

[azygous]

Just bite the bullet and do like Old Hen suggests.

Chickens are supreme creatures of habit. It takes forever to break them of an established habit, and it also takes a while to establish a new one. But you can be sure they will form the new habit of going into the new coop.

Close off the old coop. It would be best to place a barrier in front of the old coop so the chickens can't see the old coop, like a tarp perhaps, and it will also serve to prevent them from flinging themselves against the door of the old coop in a frantic effort to get in at night. Yes, mine have actually done that, and injuries can occur.

Since it's so darned hot, I wouldn't coop them up as is the usual method of establishing hens in a new coop, but place them inside at night or lure them inside with treats. Chickens are very responsive to treats and it can be a great incentive for learning the new habit.

 

[aart]

Or maybe put them in the new coop at night after dark when it cools down?

 

[User395221]

Thanks for the replies, I'll just put them in and not second-guess myself when I see the sad "we are neglected" faces.....

I tried putting them in there, but it's like Dino on the Flintstones, they jump straight back out (there's a door to the ramp, but it's too hot to close it, IMO). The other thing is that they need to learn how to go up a ramp. Their original house (at their old home) was just a jump up (even though it does have a tiny little ramp to go in it, and their current house is at ground level. I reckon if their new house was also at ground level, they'd be in there.

It gets dark quite late so waiting for it to get properly dark is a bit of a pain in the neck for me. Also, I need to add a padbolt on the inside of the run so that I can go in and they can't just get out through the doorway. I bought it yesterday, just need to screw it on. I couldn't try putting them in yesterday because they all just took off because I couldn't keep the door shut from the inside.

I put some scratch mix on the ramp and at the top of the ramp, but nobody's expressed any interest in it.

Speaking of heat, the coop has a (decent-sized) gap on each side at the top, and it has the (small) door to the ramp, otherwise it's enclosed (but there are also tiny gaps between the cladding). Would it be a good idea to latch open the door a little bit as well in summer, or will it be cool enough in there, do you think, or will they just come outside and sleep in the run if it's too hot in there?

 

[aart]

Oh, yeah, gotcha.....the late, late dark of summer.

Might want to add some windows for more summer ventilation...hinged at top so can stay open during rains.
Would add some light to the coop too, so they can see better inside at dusk.

 

[User395221]

So, tonight I put them in the new run, went out after a while to find them huddled up the end. Picked each girl up and put her inside. Looked inside and they were all just huddled inside the door where I'd put them, so I picked each up and put her on the perch. Crept out again after a little while to see whether they'd come out and they hadn't.... yay. It's progress.

I don't know how to add a window, but the carpenter who pulled it to bits and reassembled it at my place is probably coming back to do some other stuff so I can ask him then.

 

[azygous]

I had the problem of hot coops, too, and finally added two windows last summer. It's really pretty easy. It's just a matter of cutting holes where you want the windows, and sticking some headers and supports to reinforce the holes, then screwing some hinges to the headers to attach covers that flop down during winter. I didn't even bother installing glass windows, just stapled some hardware cloth over the holes. Right now, I have insulation stuffed in the holes and the flaps are secured for the winter months.

If it's very hot inside the coop at roosting time, it could very well be the reason your chooks aren't thrilled about going in. What I used to do was open the coop up right before sundown so it would cool down some before bedtime, then close it back up when the chickens got ready to go in. You can also try rigging up a fan to push out the hot air.

 

[User395221]

I'm not sure that it is hot in there, I just feel that way about anything that looks enclosed to me. I don't know whether I'm putting human feelings into it and it's absolutely fine chook-wise. The 2 weatherboards at the top on each side are missing, the gap is a board's width at one end and slopes down to a point (it's a skillion roof, the gap follows the roof-line.) I'll test it with a thermometer. Theoretically, the hot air should rise and move out. I could latch the door open as well, but all the "chicken blurb" says to avoid draughts, and that would definitely create a draught. When I put them in, it didn't feel hot there, the whole area felt quite nice and cool.

The other thing is that putting an open window in there would let them see immediately it's light, instead of maybe tricking them to stay in bed for a little while. I've got this weird thing where I don't like the chickens "locked up". If they're asleep, they aren't standing there looking like prisoners waiting for access to the exercise yard.

They've really got me suckered in to the chook face manipulation.

It seems that 3 of them slept in the nest boxes and not on the perch.... 3 little circular depressions and the bedding moved. I've only the one fake egg, I'll get 2 more, but if they sleep there, will they lay there? If they prefer sleeping on the floor, should I take the perch out? Is it ok for them to sleep in the nest boxes?

There were no eggs this morning, I opened up the yard to their old house, in case they want to go in there.

If a chook wants to lay in "its spot" and its spot is locked off, what happens? Will they just give in and lay in a new spot, or will they hold off and get all egg-bound inside?

 

[aart]

I'm not sure that it is hot in there, I just feel that way about anything that looks enclosed to me. I don't know whether I'm putting human feelings into it and it's absolutely fine chook-wise. The 2 weatherboards at the top on each side are missing, the gap is a board's width at one end and slopes down to a point (it's a skillion roof, the gap follows the roof-line.) I'll test it with a thermometer. Theoretically, the hot air should rise and move out. I could latch the door open as well, but all the "chicken blurb" says to avoid draughts, and that would definitely create a draught. When I put them in, it didn't feel hot there, the whole area felt quite nice and cool.

The other thing is that putting an open window in there would let them see immediately it's light, instead of maybe tricking them to stay in bed for a little while. I've got this weird thing where I don't like the chickens "locked up". If they're asleep, they aren't standing there looking like prisoners waiting for access to the exercise yard.

They've really got me suckered in to the chook face manipulation.

It seems that 3 of them slept in the nest boxes and not on the perch.... 3 little circular depressions and the bedding moved. I've only the one fake egg, I'll get 2 more, but if they sleep there, will they lay there? If they prefer sleeping on the floor, should I take the perch out? Is it ok for them to sleep in the nest boxes?

There were no eggs this morning, I opened up the yard to their old house, in case they want to go in there.

If a chook wants to lay in "its spot" and its spot is locked off, what happens? Will they just give in and lay in a new spot, or will they hold off and get all egg-bound inside?

That really only applies in cold weather........not hot.
You want a nice cross breeze to move the hot air out.

 

[Mrs. K]

Chickens confuse easily. You need to lock up where you don't want them to lay, or sleep. Then they will use the other house. If you open the old house, you are confusing them.

No you don't want them to sleep in the nest. they nearly poop all night, it makes a mess of the eggs.

And they can't hold it, it their favorite spot is blocked off, they will pay attention to the fake eggs and think, Oh well, this looks like a good spot and lay there.

Make sure the roosts are higher than the nests.

Be tough, and the will figure it out quick, falter and give in, and it will be a long process.

Mrs K

 

[User395221]

That really only applies in cold weather........not hot.
You want a nice cross breeze to move the hot air out.

Thanks. The run where their old house is is around the whole thing and they come out of the front door of their run into the big run. With the new house, the big run/yard will have to be at the back, so I might get the carpenter to do window/s and a door/hatch into the big run.

And they can't hold it,

Thanks, I didn't want them to get constipated, or explode or something.... (yes, I'm pretty clueless)

There's actually a roof to the laying boxes which I haven't put on yet. It's dirty, I need to squirt it with the hose. Maybe that'll make a difference to how they use the nest boxes. I'll stick it on today, and get some more fake eggs.

Tonight! Tonight will be success. They'll sleep on the roost, lay in the nest boxes...

Yeh, right.

Thanks for all the help.