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....

 

[Mrs. K]

Actually more space is always better. People often want to keep them safe, and keep them in way too small of space. More space means better physical exercise, healthier and better socialization.

At 8 weeks they are more than ready. I put mine out in a 20 x30 run at 3-4 weeks, after I noticed a broody hen had them out in the brush by day 3. They are tougher than you think.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are they? I did not see where that was mentioned in any of your posts. Can they fly? Some like Silkies or Frizzles cannot fly, they have to use a ramp. Many of mine fly up or down instead of using a ramp.

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.....

Sometimes when I open the pop door and give my chicks (usually a brood of around 20 chicks) access to the run they are all in the run within 15 minutes. Sometimes it takes 3 days before they all go down. I am perfectly happy to let them decide what they want to do, they will not be injured or harmed either way.

They might go back to the coop to sleep, they might not. When I move chicks from the brooder to my elevated grow-out coop I usually house them in the grow-out coop for a week before I let them in the run. Mine generally do not return to the coop to sleep at first, they usually go to bed on the ground in front of the pop door. I wait until it is dark so they are easy to catch and put them in the coop every night until they go in on their own. One time I only had to put them in once before they managed to go in on their own when it got dark. A couple of times it has taken three weeks of putting them in every night until the last few caught on. Most caught on fairly quickly but 3 or 4 were just being stubborn. With most broods it takes about a week for all of them to learn.

Good luck!