How to get chickens to go to new coop.

[4garringer]

So we originally got a small coop from a tractor supply store, as I was only getting a few chickens. We also bought a 10x20 run. The coop is inside of the run. Well my husband came home with 10 chickens (1 passed the 1st day) so now I have 9 chickens and as they got bigger they don't all fit in the coop. Well they only use the coop to lay eggs in. All 9 of them roost on top of the coop. They always have. Well with winter coming soon (Iowa), we decided to buy a shed to help them stay warmer during the cold months. We built a tunnel to connect the new coop to the run. We tried putting them in the coop after dark and locking them in until the next morning to let them know that this is where their new roost and nesting boxes are. Well they still insist on roosting in the run (covered with tarp in back and sides) on the old coop. How do I get them to go into the new coop? I've tried treats of all kinds to try and get them to come over, but only a few of them have come over. I'm worried when it gets really cold outside they will get to cold in the run on top of the coop. Am I over thinking this, or should I be doing something else? I can't go put them into the new coop every night because of my work schedule, so hoping they will just figure it out.

 

[Sammster]

Hmmm.... that's a conundrum. I wonder if there's a way you can cover the small coop, to make roosting on it impossible. Maybe put it against one side of the run and tent it with an unroostable tarp?

 

[Debbie292d]

So we originally got a small coop from a tractor supply store, as I was only getting a few chickens. We also bought a 10x20 run. The coop is inside of the run. Well my husband came home with 10 chickens (1 passed the 1st day) so now I have 9 chickens and as they got bigger they don't all fit in the coop. Well they only use the coop to lay eggs in. All 9 of them roost on top of the coop. They always have. Well with winter coming soon (Iowa), we decided to buy a shed to help them stay warmer during the cold months. We built a tunnel to connect the new coop to the run. We tried putting them in the coop after dark and locking them in until the next morning to let them know that this is where their new roost and nesting boxes are. Well they still insist on roosting in the run (covered with tarp in back and sides) on the old coop. How do I get them to go into the new coop? I've tried treats of all kinds to try and get them to come over, but only a few of them have come over. I'm worried when it gets really cold outside they will get to cold in the run on top of the coop. Am I over thinking this, or should I be doing something else? I can't go put them into the new coop every night because of my work schedule, so hoping they will just figure it out.

What we just did to get ours to go from the temp coop to the main coop on the other side of the yard is turn the light on in the main coop and lock them out of the other one. If you don't have a light in yours, you can use a battery or solar lantern for a few nights. Then we rustle them over there and they went in. Actually, it takes us 4 nights, but ours are silkies so not the brightest chickens out there.

Also, they don't go in there at dusk at first, it was like almost dark outside before they'd start moving that way.

 

[4garringer]

Hmmm.... that's a conundrum. I wonder if there's a way you can cover the small coop, to make roosting on it impossible. Maybe put it against one side of the run and tent it with an unroostable tarp?

I wondered if blocking off the old coop would help. I think I'll have to give it a try. Thanks

 

[rosemarythyme]

First I'd lock them in the new coop at least 2-3 days (not 1 day). Then remove or remove access to old coop (I'd remove any run roosts too, until they're consistently in the new coop). You just need some of the more dominant birds to buy in and the rest should gradually follow.