Getting new pullets in the coop

[3sweetchicks]

I have 3 hens one and two years old. I got two pullets about a month ago that are now about 14 weeks old. The 3 hens go into the coop at night and the 2 new ones want to roost on the fence for the night. Any ideas on how to get them to go in with the other hens?

 

[Kernel Cluck]

Are they comfortable with each other yet? If not maybe the pullets are just keeping to themselves. I suspect that once they work out the pecking order, the young ones will join in on the perch. When you say they roost on the fence. Do you mean they wont go into the coop at all and they are out unprotected? If thats the case, I would try to lure them in at night with a nice treat like scratch or something they particularly like.

 

[Newtohens]

When my pullets were about that age I went out at dusk as they were roosting and picked them up while they were sleepy and put them through the coop door. I did this for about a week then they all started doing it themselves. As for the older hens, this practice shouldn't bother them as they are already sleepy as well and up on the roost so the hierarchy shouldn't be affected because the new pullets will be on the floor of the coop until they figure out a pecking order.

 

[3sweetchicks]

Thanks for the suggestions. At first we tried luring them in with scratch, but then the hens would come out and it was a big hassle getting everyone back in. And, we've been placing them in the coop after dark for a month now still! I'll keep trying. We're going on vacation soon, and I was hoping to have them all settled in before then. I think next I'll clip their wings so they can't get up on the top of the fence.

 

[Joecool1994]

We introduced our chicks to the coop about a week or so ago and they would just sit under the coop ramp and try to sleep lol. From what I saw in another thread was to put a light inside the coop and they go to it at night. We did that and after they were in and we assumed were nestled in (about an hour or so after they were inside) we turned it off. We did this for the next couple of nights and ever since then we haven't needed the light, they walk right in before it goes dark.