Is it ok if they stay in the run?

[MamaGer8ty]

I am a first timer here so please go easy on me! We finally finished our coop and run. The chickens all love it outside in the run but won’t go into the coop. I tried putting them in the coop first and they all just ran out. I’ve even moved their food and water to inside but they won’t go in and now I’m worried they will go hungry or get dehydrated. (I put both back in the run) How else can I get them to go inside? I am not able to get into their run without disconnecting it from their coop but I do have a section of roof I can lift up to give them food and water. We did an odd design. They are all happy though.

thank you!

 

[CraftyHen]

If it's warm they're ok in the run. They will eventually get brave/curious enough to have a look around. And will most certainly choose the coop when cool weather arrives. I have 3 hens that sleep on a roost out in the run. Their choice.
I also have 4 chicks who for the longest wouldn't come out of the coop into run. They're out and about now. All in their own time!

 

[Sequel]

Do you mean they won’t go in at night? From the pic it doesn’t appear there is any ventilation or natural light in there, is that the case? Sometimes young ones have to be put to bed at night for a while till they get the hang of it.
I had brooder sort of like your run. It was a real pain when I had to move the chicks!

 

[MamaGer8ty]

Do you mean they won’t go in at night? From the pic it doesn’t appear there is any ventilation or natural light in there, is that the case? Sometimes young ones have to be put to bed at night for a while till they get the hang of it.
I had brooder sort of like your run. It was a real pain when I had to move the chicks!

It has long windows on the sides for light (I have it so they have light when the sun rises and sets but during the heat of the day they’ll have shade) and ventilation, I don’t have a picture of it I’m sorry. We have it covered with hardware cloth so nothing can get in or out. Today is their first time in it.

 

[MamaGer8ty]

If it's warm they're ok in the run. They will eventually get brave/curious enough to have a look around. And will most certainly choose the coop when cool weather arrives. I have 3 hens that sleep on a roost out in the run. Their choice.
I also have 4 chicks who for the longest wouldn't come out of the coop into run. They're out and about now. All in their own time!

Thank you so much! I won’t worry then. I finally went out there because it was raining and they were huddled in a corner of the run. It hurt getting in it but I got them inside and now they haven’t left it. Lol

 

[Sequel]

It has long windows on the sides for light (I have it so they have light when the sun rises and sets but during the heat of the day they’ll have shade) and ventilation, I don’t have a picture of it I’m sorry. We have it covered with hardware cloth so nothing can get in or out. Today is their first time in it.

Oh ok you have light and ventilation, so that's all good. Try not to worry too much. They need time to adjust, if nothing else put them in when it's dark if they haven't gone in themselves.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I lock them in the coop for a few days. Not everyone likes doing it that way but it's pretty effective at homing them to a coop.

 

[MamaGer8ty]

I lock them in the coop for a few days. Not everyone likes doing it that way but it's pretty effective at homing them to a coop.

We just had to go and lock them in for the night. I was telling my husband we might need to lock them in for a few days just so they’ll understand that’s home for them. I had gotten them in earlier and they ventured out which was awesome but then they were all huddled out near a corner of the run and refused to move.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They don't need to be locked in for long, 2 maybe 3 days should be enough. It's understandable that they enjoy having all the extra space and fresh air in the run, but for their safety they really should want to return to home base - the coop - at night.

 

[MamaGer8ty]

@rosemarythyme

Thank you! We will most likely have to do that. They are so used to being in our basement that now it’s an entirely new world and probably confusing.