HELP my girls wont go in their new coop.

[Porpoise Hork]

Very nice setup.

When I built a larger roost for my birds it took them about a week to start using it. One thing that worked to spur them on was waiting until well after dark and moving a few of my birds that are at the top of the pecking order to the new roost. Since it was dark they were less likely to go back to the old roost. I did this a few nights in a row and then sat back and watched them at dusk, and they started going in there on their own. My silkies and youngest birds refuse to use the larger roost, and a few others also prefer the ceder branches I mounted up at the top of their enclosure. Since they all go in before the auto door closes, I stopped trying to force them to roost where I wanted and left them to sort it out on their own.

 

[Owenp_2]

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 ?

No, I know where you are coming from because mine is also free-range but the problem should be fixed after two days. Just allow access to freshwater and food.

 

[aart]

I love seeing a nice big coop and run built next to a prefab!!

 

[perkolator]

Nice looking coop!
My setup is secure too, so I just let the chickens do their thing and sleep wherever they want as long as it's inside the fortress. Some nights they all sleep inside the coop, other nights none of them do, lol. They'll figure it out on their own, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[5ChicksInTheCity]

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.

Thanks so much for this detailed response. Sorry for my delay in responding. After 3 days they are all back on track and sleeping in the coop where they belong. They all also started laying again right away (in the nests where they belong) i definitely thing I was more stressed then them lol.

 

[5ChicksInTheCity]

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.

Yes the run is hardware cloth. I got an automatic coop door so I don't have to worry about letting them out in the morning and the run door is just a regular manual door so I can control the amount of free range time they get. I've been seeing a hawk in my yard so I am keeping them confined more often

 

[5ChicksInTheCity]

I love seeing a nice bug coop and run built next to a prefab!!

I'm a first timer and got tricked by the prefab. It only lasted a couple months lol

 

[5ChicksInTheCity]

Very nice setup.

When I built a larger roost for my birds it took them about a week to start using it. One thing that worked to spur them on was waiting until well after dark and moving a few of my birds that are at the top of the pecking order to the new roost. Since it was dark they were less likely to go back to the old roost. I did this a few nights in a row and then sat back and watched them at dusk, and they started going in there on their own. My silkies and youngest birds refuse to use the larger roost, and a few others also prefer the ceder branches I mounted up at the top of their enclosure. Since they all go in before the auto door closes, I stopped trying to force them to roost where I wanted and left them to sort it out on their own.

I am happy to report they are all back to normal and go to the coop at dusk. It only took 3 days so I definitely think o was worried for nothing lol.

 

[cmom]

I don't shut the pop doors on my coops but I have electric wires around the coops and pens and so far nothing has gotten past the wires.