Is this okay?

[Chicken babies]

I have a new flock of 10, all about 7 ish weeks old. They have a 2nd level coop, with a run under and out for them to run around outside. They have been in the coop for just under a week. They will go up and down the ramp all day long, but when it comes dusk, they lay down in a pile in the run area underneath the coop. It isn't really big enough for me to get in there and take them out to put into the coop every night, although I have done this a couple times. Last night I just couldn't do it, couldn't reach them, etc, so I put 3 that I could reach into the coop and the rest were out in the run. (there is also a larger fence around all of this, which is fully enclosed in chicken wire to attempt to keep predators out). Is this okay? I had chickens a while ago and I do not remember having to "train" them to go inside at night. I am unsure what to do at this point, since it is not physically feasible for me to continue to move them every night

 

[nuthatched]

Chicken wire isn't remotely predator proof, I would add a welded wire fencing layer.
They may need a night light in there until they learn.

 

[Chicken babies]

thank you for your reply.

I understand what you are saying, the point of that part I guess was to convey that they do have multiple layers of "something" between them and the outside world. I am more concerned about if this behavior is normal and what if anything can I/should I do to get them to sleep in the coop? I live in Northeast Ohio and it was pretty chilly within a few days of putting them out there, so we had the heat lamp (light) in the coop for the first 3 nights they were out there.....I had to put them into the coop, so the light did not draw them as we had hoped