Just Out Side and Won't Leave Coop

[enggass]

Put my 7 week old hens out this AM. They have been out there for about 4 hours, and they still won't go out into the run... Door is open. I assume this is normal and when they are ready they will go out?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
I actually kept my chickens confined IN the coop for a week so that they became familiar with it as the place to which they ought to return at dusk. Some people have trouble getting their chickens back into the coop at night, which may or may not be attribuatable to failing to acclimate them to their new home base.
They'll go out when they're ready. Don't worry, they're curious by nature!

 

[Tomhusker]

Quote:
I actually kept my chickens confined IN the coop for a week so that they became familiar with it as the place to which they ought to return at dusk. Some people have trouble getting their chickens back into the coop at night, which may or may not be attribuatable to failing to acclimate them to their new home base.
They'll go out when they're ready. Don't worry, they're curious by nature!

 

[dela1991]

This is my first time with chickens. I may have done it all wrong but after their first night in the coop, I opened the door to the run and got the same response as you are getting. I eventually enticed them out with food as they all just stood in the doorway looking out at the world. Once they set foot in the run, they liked it. Now when I open the door in the morning, they are flying out, feet not even touching the ramp. I have not had any problems getting them into the coop at night. Usually by dusk, they are all tucked into a corner of the coop . They are 10 weeks old and have been outside about a month. I find some on the roost in the morning, but I think for the most part, they are all still spending the night on the floor. I have not let them out of the run to free range about the yard yet. That may not come for awhile. Good luck!

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, it's perfectly normal for chickens to stay inside the coop at first. Matter of fact, as one poster mentioned, it's best to keep them IN the coop for about a week just to "lock in" the This Is A Safe Place and It's Home. Once you let them out, they may still be hesitant about exiting the coop. It's normal, they will eventually find their way outside.

They also take a while to learn to perch (and sleep) on the roost bars. They generally get up there during the day, checking things out, but they've got to practice a while before they can balance on the roost while they sleep. Until then, many chickens just sleep in piles together on the coop floor.