Letting new pullets out

[Bella333]

I just purchased five pullets, and I have them inside the coop for 3 days now. I haven't attached small run.Would it be okay to let them in there and out of the enclosed coop. Will they know to go up the ramp back inside at night after these three days?

 

[ChickQueen77]

When I move my pullets usually by nighttime they are still out in the run so I will show them the ramp like pick them up and set them on it and they will go in. I have to do that usually once but there are some birds that aren't the brightest so i have to do it for 3+ days

 

[Mother of Chaos]

The first three pullets I bought were not quite 8 weeks old. Their coop (a Nestera) sits inside a protected run.

I put them in the coop when we first got home, and they popped back out.

That night, they put themselves to bed, albeit on the Nestera roof. I put them inside, and that was that.

We don’t have a ramp. They fly up to the platform where the coop sits, or they hop up via and upturned bucket.

 

[Mrs. K]

Generally speaking, they will stay fairly close to the coop the first few days.

I strongly recommend adding a run to the coop, unless you have a fenced back yard? Many times, it is good to have the ability for them to be outside, but protected.

Mrs K

 

[Shadrach]

I just purchased five pullets, and I have them inside the coop for 3 days now. I haven't attached small run.Would it be okay to let them in there and out of the enclosed coop. Will they know to go up the ramp back inside at night after these three days?

Probably. You may have to help them but they'll get the idea provided the coop is suitable.
If you don't have a run is your garden fenced?
Are you planning on ranging them from dawn till dusk and hoping they'll go to roost unsupervised?.

 

[Bella333]

Probably. You may have to help them but they'll get the idea provided the coop is suitable.
If you don't have a run is your garden fenced?
Are you planning on ranging them from dawn till dusk and hoping they'll go to roost unsupervised?.

So they are in a coop with an attached protected run. I open the door to the ramp every morning but none of them will come down the ramp to the run. I'm wondering if I should force them down the ramp into the run or just be patient and let them do it on their own? It's been 3 days now and they stay in the coop with the ramp down. None have explored or ventured down into the run.....

 

[Mrs. K]

You can do it either way. Eventually one will, and others will follow. Or you can shoe them out, and close the ramp for a couple of hours, and then open it up. More than likely, if you go that route, you will have to guide them back near dark.

Mrs K

 

[Bella333]

You can do it either way. Eventually one will, and others will follow. Or you can shoe them out, and close the ramp for a couple of hours, and then open it up. More than likely, if you go that route, you will have to guide them back near dark.

Mrs K

Thank you.Maybe I will give them a couple more days.The run is under the coop, so I don't wanna have to crawl around under there to get them back inside at night... Once I get them adapted to the small area, I have another big run attached to it.But probably shouldn't give them too much space.All at once....