Introducing the ladies to the coop?

[Huhnerhausgal]

Hi there.

I'm a new member and we have six pullets that are ready to be introduced to their coop. (Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red, auracuana, barred rock, australorp, black laced Wyandotte ) Currently we are thinking they will have an enclosed run with limited free ranging supervision later but for now mostly just the coop and run. I read somewhere that you were supposed to enclose them in the coop for a certain length of time when they first go in? I assume that they can go in and out of their run and coop it's just you don't allow them to range outside for a while? We are completely at a loss and would appreciate any suggestion you might have an acclimating ladies to their new coop and environment.

Thanks

Pam

 

[cackleberrycam]

Welcome to BackyardChickens!

I would put your birds in the coop for the first day, without giving them access to the run or the free range area. This will let them get used to the new environment that you are putting them in. Then on the second day I would let them in the run, but I only recommend letting them free range under your supervision until all their feathers are in and they look full grown. Also, every night put them on the roost in their coop so that they get used to going back to the coop every night to sleep. Then they will always come home after a day free ranging and will never wander off. One thing I like to do when I let my birds start free ranging is to tie a ten-foot string around my bird's leg and tie the other end to my coop.
They soon realize that they need to stay near my coop and never wander away.

I hope this can help you!
Good luck to you in your chicken keeping venture!

 

[sheetmetaltom]

what I do is place the chickens on the roost in the coop at night,( I keep it dark so they cant see anything) this way they go to sleep where they are supposed to and they wake up where they will wake up everyday for the rest of their lives. in the morning, I let them out, they go about there business and it usually only takes 2-3 nights for all the chicks to learn to enter the coop and go to bed (roost) by themselves. which means I only have to lock up the run, they do the rest. good luck

 

[Fishslayer]

at week 6 mine went out to the coop (about 2 weeks ago), the weather was warm and i gave them a lamp at night for the first week, plus they were feathering up nicely. they stayed a day in coop and were very uncomfortable with the hardware mesh floor and change from the box at first, but they have come to have no problem with it. on day two i opened the door and let them into the run. i had to assist them into the coop the first few nights (especially with the lamp) becuase they just wanted to sleep under the coop. it took about 4 to 5 days for them to start using the roost, i would put one or two on it a night and close the coop windows. this morning i went out and all of them were roosted nicely and seemed happy. the last 3 nights they finally started "putting themselves away" and about a halfhour after sundown they are all in the coop ready for me to close the door. it just kinda happens. show a couple of them where everything is and what they are supposed to do and the rest the will follow. I also"treat" mine with meal worms to the point where they follow me around the yard (when i let them have supervised free range). too many predators in my area to allow them to free range without supervision, but its kinda cute what they do.. they follow me everywhere, hang out in the garden, lay under the hammock if i'm in it, etc. They are quick learners at a young age and a couple days of persistance paid off for me. my newest problem... one of my BSL is a rooster (confimed now) .

 

[Huhnerhausgal]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas and the warm welcome. I have to say that while I read up on it until they were home we didn't really think about all the various things we needed to know -- and sadly we learned the hard way and lost a chick to overheating early on -- and while I knew intellectually that it was just one of those things that happens -- staying up at night feeding it with a dropper -- hearing its peeps. Man, that was sad.

I just feel like I want to be responsible and knowledgeable for the sake of these creatures that depend on my figuring it out! Thank goodness for the internet because the family knowledge about this sort of thing died with my grandmother years and years ago (and she moved off the farm at ten and would NEVER have understood my wanting to voluntarily keep chickens.

Thanks again for your great suggestions. My husband is currently feverishly working on the coop trying to finish it so that we can get the ladies in there -- they are taking over our back room in the basement and as much as I think they are great I am looking forward to them in their space and them in ours!

Fishslayer -- what will you do with the rooster? I had read about that since sexing them is so inexact -- I wondered what we would do if that happened. We can't keep a rooster here -- its against our town's regulations unfortunately...

Sheetmetaltom -- thanks for the good luck wishes -- I feel we might need it -- mostly I'm worried about the dogs next door if I give the chickens some garden time -- wondering if they're going to get over a 6ft fence?


Cackleberrycam -- a string! That's genius!




Thanks again everyone!


Pam

 

[cackleberrycam]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas and the warm welcome. I have to say that while I read up on it until they were home we didn't really think about all the various things we needed to know -- and sadly we learned the hard way and lost a chick to overheating early on -- and while I knew intellectually that it was just one of those things that happens -- staying up at night feeding it with a dropper -- hearing its peeps. Man, that was sad.

I just feel like I want to be responsible and knowledgeable for the sake of these creatures that depend on my figuring it out! Thank goodness for the internet because the family knowledge about this sort of thing died with my grandmother years and years ago (and she moved off the farm at ten and would NEVER have understood my wanting to voluntarily keep chickens.

Thanks again for your great suggestions. My husband is currently feverishly working on the coop trying to finish it so that we can get the ladies in there -- they are taking over our back room in the basement and as much as I think they are great I am looking forward to them in their space and them in ours!

Fishslayer -- what will you do with the rooster? I had read about that since sexing them is so inexact -- I wondered what we would do if that happened. We can't keep a rooster here -- its against our town's regulations unfortunately...

Sheetmetaltom -- thanks for the good luck wishes -- I feel we might need it -- mostly I'm worried about the dogs next door if I give the chickens some garden time -- wondering if they're going to get over a 6ft fence?


Cackleberrycam -- a string! That's genius!




Thanks again everyone!


Pam

Thanks! Glad to help!