HELP my girls wont go in their new coop.

[5ChicksInTheCity]

so I finished my new coop and run and I moved my girls in tonight. Problem is only 3 went into the house and 2 stayed in the run.. i tried placing them on the roosts multiple times but they kept jumping g off and flapping around and causing a ruckus. I didn't want to keep stressing them out so I stopped trying.They always stayed together in the old coop without any issues. The run is predator proof is it safe for them to sleep in The run For the night? The new coop is the larger one (4×4 house and 4x16run)and the old coop is the little one on the right(2x2 house and 2x9 run)

 

[orloffer]

It might just take them some time to get used to. I might try putting them in later than usual, so they are more tired and less prone to protesting.

 

[black_cat]

It is because they still think of the old coop at home. Easiest solution is to just shut them in the coop for a couple days, provided you have adequate space and ventilation.

 

[Owenp_2]

so I finished my new coop and run and I moved my girls in tonight. Problem is only 3 went into the house and 2 stayed in the run.. i tried placing them on the roosts multiple times but they kept jumping g off and flapping around and causing a ruckus. I didn't want to keep stressing them out so I stopped trying.They always stayed together in the old coop without any issues. The run is predator proof is it safe for them to sleep in The run For the night? The new coop is the larger one (4×4 house and 4x16run)and the old coop is the little one on the right(2x2 house and 2x9 run)View attachment 2327181View attachment 2327184

To get them in the new coop place them in there for a whole day then you should let them find their own way onto the roost. Also, block off the access to the old coop for a few days.

 

[5ChicksInTheCity]

To get them in the new coop place them in there for a whole day then you should let them find their own way onto the roost. Also, block off the access to the old coop for a few days.

They are used to free ranging most of the day. Will it stress them to be locked in after all that freedom they are used to ?

 

[5ChicksInTheCity]

It might just take them some time to get used to. I might try putting them in later than usual, so they are more tired and less prone to protesting.

They were all in The new run about a half hour before dark so I took the opportunity to lock the run door but when it was time to go to sleep 3 went in the coop and 2 were going crazy like they were locked out in the wilderness.

 

[black_cat]

They are used to free ranging most of the day. Will it stress them to be locked in after all that freedom they are used to ?

You could try having them in just the coop and the run with no free ranging to see if it helps. They might be annoyed at you and demand to be let out, but I don't think that it will cause any stress issues.

 

[cmom]

You could try having them in just the coop and the run with no free ranging to see if it helps. They might be annoyed at you and demand to be let out, but I don't think that it will cause any stress issues.

Excellent idea, Try some treats. Once they get a routine, they should go in on their own. I have done that with my birds and eventually slacked off on the treat but by then it was part of their routine and they went in with no problems. Good luck...

 

[Ridgerunner]

i tried placing them on the roosts multiple times but they kept jumping g off and flapping around and causing a ruckus. I didn't want to keep stressing them out so I stopped trying

They are used to free ranging most of the day. Will it stress them to be locked in after all that freedom they are used to ?

Stop worrying about stressing them out. Chickens are creatures of habit. If you break that habit they will be upset. But they are also adaptable. Within a very short time they will adjust to new circumstances. They are not going to suffer any long term effects. Short term they will not be physically harmed. They will not hate you. They will simply get over it, probably fairly quickly, and go back to being chickens.

You've built something very nice for them. It certainly looks big enough to lock all five in the new coop and run for a week if you wish. That should train them to sleep in there and to use those nests if they are laying.

Are they laying yet? If they are I'd leave them locked in there for a week as much to train them to use those nests as anything else. If they are not laying yet I'd be tempted to just lock them in the new coop section (not the run) when it gets dark and let them free range during the day. I'd block the old coop so they can't roost in there. I'd expect them to try roosting on top of the old coop. If that area is dark they should be easy to catch. When I do that I do not put them on the roosts, I toss them on the coop floor and lock the door. Where they sleep in there become their problem, not yours. They will work it out.

If it is too light out there after dark to easily catch them, leave them locked in the new coop and run for a while. One week might be long enough, it might not. Go by what you see. When I put mine in after dark, sometimes they get the message really quickly, sometimes it takes a lot longer. But if you are consistent they will figure it out.

Right now it sounds like they are stressing you out a lot more than you will ever stress them. That's just not right.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Is the run covered in hardware cloth or chicken wire? If it truly is predator proof (fort knox) for your predators, then I would just allow them to come and go as they please (out of the henhouse and into the run). They will explore and adapt on their own and you wont have to be beholden to them in the morning and night for door shutting/opening. Obviously shut the run door when they're done free ranging.