dustyruffle
In the Brooder
- Apr 12, 2018
- 4
- 6
- 19
I have not posted since my introduction...sorry. It has been a whirlwind spring and summer. Between getting my chicks and so many "life" issues happening...as with everyone..,.illness, a loved one passing on, storms and other events I have not checked in. We have just pushed through, prayed and trusted The Lord to carry us through all of this plus "chicken raisin". Bypassing any details of all of the in between...I am posting a question today about locking my chickens out of the coop during the day so they only free range or leaving it open as their option. We have our coop finished except for the nest boxes which are going in this week, and the run which is not started yet. My chickens and one rooster are now 17 weeks old. They have been able to occupy the coop for many weeks now and after a learning process on our part and starting a routine on theirs they have finally been going in the coop at night to roost....without wrangling stragglers with flashlights. it took days to even get them to venture out of the coop at first but now they are eager in the mornings. A couple of times this past week they have gone in very early and not come back out, but the past several days it has rained almost none stop and they chose to stay out til dusk. Today the rain has stopped, it is cooler and they have gone in already by 2:00. Not sure if they are cold, bored with outside...how could that be?....or just being chickens. I have learned in these 4 months that chickens are routine animals so what routine for cooping during the day would be best? or are they showing me that they haven't made up their minds yet what they want to do? Thanks for any advice.