Help with New Chickens

[jbeck013]

I just got 4 - 16 week year old chickens yesterday. Never done this before, but my daughter wanted to raise some chickens.

I have a run with a roof on it and a separate coop house. Yesterday, when I put the chickens in the run, they just all huddled up for most of the day. Later in the afternoon, they started moving around.

When it came to night time, they wouldn't go in the coop. They sent the whole night, balled up, under the coop. I put some feed on the ramp going into the coop, but all they did was poop on the ramp.

Help! Is this normal? How do I get them in the coop?

Thanks

John

 

[Singlemaple]

Lock them in the coop for about a week or two and then let them in the run.. that way they know that the coop is home and is where you sleep... other wise they will stay outside.

I had that problem to but at least it is an easy fix.

 

[Singlemaple]

Let me know if you have any other questions.
you can also PM me... I read a lot on this website.. sucked it up like a sponge lol

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Lock them in the coop for about a week or two and then let them in the run.. that way they know that the coop is home and is where you sleep... other wise they will stay outside.

I had that problem to but at least it is an easy fix.

x2, if they are 4 weeks they're going to need a heat lamp at about 85-80 degrees F. Is it cold where you live?

 

[jbeck013]

I live in Maryland, so it's pretty warm at night. Just took Simplemaple's advice and locked them in the coop for the night. That was not one easy task trying to catch them.

 

[Singlemaple]

If you have any questions ever just send a PM my way and i will do my best to answer.

 

[mi chicken]

put a light on a timer for about one hour before dark and another after it worked for mine

 

[jbeck013]

Thanks for everyone's help. I reached my max PM's for the day (new user). The ladies are in the coop, but not on the roost. 2 are lying in nest boxes, 1 is in one corner and the other is in another corner. My coop is about 3 1/2 x 5 and 5 + feet high. I put the roost at about 35 inches off the ground. To high? Add a shorter one? There 16 weeks old

 

[Den in Penn]

The roosts are not to high. Are the nest boxes lower than the roosts? Chickens like to sleep as high as they can get. At 16 weeks they should be using the roosts, so my other question is. Did the place you got them from have roosts for them? No big problem about them sleeping on the floor, just curious,

 

[jbeck013]

The first night, they sleep on top of the nest box, outside the coop. I have it "extended" out of the coop. Inside the coop, the nesting boxes are lower than the roost. I bought them from Southern States, a local farmers place, so I don't know where they came from.