How do I get my chickens to go into their henhouse?

[Devman]

Hello, this is my first post!

I just bought 3 chickens from the feed store after constructing my coop. They are 5-month old pullets, Red Sex-link breed.

My problem is that they don't want to go into their henhouse at night, where their roost is. They have to walk up a ramp to get into it, which is just a plywood board with dowel rods I cut and nailed to the board so they can grip it.

But they just sleep on the ground inside the coop's run area. Any ideas?

Here is the coop while it was under construction. The arches are covered in chicken wire now, and the ramp goes from the little door in the henhouse down to the ground just in front of the door (which is the rectangular pipe structure closest to the camera).

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[cookinmom]

I think I would try putting them in it and closing them in each night for a few nights & see if they get the hang of it.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Yup correctomundo!The babys need to be taught for the first few weeks sometimes,varies with smarter breeds,lol....sexlinks alot of inbreeding going on there"Badooosh!"Joking....anyhow just put them in the coop they will get the hang of it.My adult hens are in the coop like clock work.The 6 baby barrocks still dont understand the predator is out and gna kill u issue.One thing i will stress is that coop needs to have a lock'd door.Dont leave a opening for predators to slice threw your chix wire,or under it and kill ya babys plz.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Yup what they said. I tossed there feathered butts in for the first week or so and shut the door. Now they put themselves to bed every night.

 

[okiechick57]

totally agree...........help them in for a week or so.then you wont have a problem........and welcome to the madness...........