Moved 8 week olds to the coop

[EarthMuffinTop]

Yesterday we finished everything in the coop and run (minus tweaks here and there). We let the girls explore the run for half the day and as soon as the solar lights in the coop came on, I started getting the girls in the coop to close them up. I was definitely nervous for my 8 week old ladies but of course they did just fine.
My question is, do I really leave them in there for an entire week or will a few days be enough to help establish that the coop is their “bedroom”? I’ve read so many conflicting things. They have food, water, grit, light for a few hours after dark, and plenty of ventilation.
Just wondering what works best for everyone?! TIA

 

[Jenbirdee]

Wow that’s beautiful they have green grass wow so nice !! I wouldn’t leave them in there the whole day I just make them go in the first couple of sunsets after that they go in by themselves.

 

[EarthMuffinTop]

Wow that’s beautiful they have green grass wow so nice !! I wouldn’t leave them in there the whole day I just make them go in the first couple of sunsets after that they go in by themselves.

Thank you! I know that grass will be demolished in the next week! So one just one day will be enough?

 

[Jenbirdee]

Thank you! I know that grass will be demolished in the next week! So one just one day will be enough?

Thank you! I know that grass will be demolished in the next week! So one just one day will be enough?

Did you mean in the beautiful grassy Run or Locked up inside the coop? If you are going to free range them in a large area I wouldn’t let them out of the Run for a week. But if you meant keep them inside the coop , no. It should be easy to get them back into the coop if you’re keeping them in the run

 

[EarthMuffinTop]

Did you mean in the beautiful grassy Run or Locked up inside the coop? If you are going to free range them in a large area I wouldn’t let them out of the Run for a week. But if you meant keep them inside the coop , no. It should be easy to get them back into the coop if you’re keeping them in the

Did you mean in the beautiful grassy Run or Locked up inside the coop? If you are going to free range them in a large area I wouldn’t let them out of the Run for a week. But if you meant keep them inside the coop , no. It should be easy to get them back into the coop if you’re keeping them in the run

Just inside the coop for the night. They have been out in the run a lot before we moved them into the coop permanently yesterday.

 

[Ridgerunner]

In my experience sometimes a couple of nights is enough. Sometimes a week and a half is not enough. Each chicken has its own personality, each flock has its own dynamics, even at that age. That's one reason some people like their chickens so much, each has its own personality. With living animals you don't get guarantees as to behaviors.

My grow-out coop is elevated. I usually put them in that coop for a week or so before I let them into the run. They are typically 5 weeks old when I put them in the coop so they are about 6 weeks old when I let them in the run. Almost every time they put themselves to bed on the ground under the pop door. So after it gets dark and they are pretty easy to catch I lock them in the coop. Sometimes it only takes a day or two for them to get the message and start going to bed in the coop on their own. A couple of times it's taken three weeks for the last few to get that message. I usually have broods of around 20 chicks. What I typically see is a few start going in after two or three days and all of them are going in after a week or so, but each brood is different.

I don't have this kind of problem with my shelters and coops at ground level, it's just the one elevated coop where I have to work on them.

 

[EarthMuffinTop]

In my experience sometimes a couple of nights is enough. Sometimes a week and a half is not enough. Each chicken has its own personality, each flock has its own dynamics, even at that age. That's one reason some people like their chickens so much, each has its own personality. With living animals you don't get guarantees as to behaviors.

My grow-out coop is elevated. I usually put them in that coop for a week or so before I let them into the run. They are typically 5 weeks old when I put them in the coop so they are about 6 weeks old when I let them in the run. Almost every time they put themselves to bed on the ground under the pop door. So after it gets dark and they are pretty easy to catch I lock them in the coop. Sometimes it only takes a day or two for them to get the message and start going to bed in the coop on their own. A couple of times it's taken three weeks for the last few to get that message. I usually have broods of around 20 chicks. What I typically see is a few start going in after two or three days and all of them are going in after a week or so, but each brood is different.

I don't have this kind of problem with my shelters and coops at ground level, it's just the one elevated coop where I have to work on them.

Thanks for the info/advice! They are definitely showing their personalities already. I kept red string lights in their indoor brooder above their roosts, and I have a red solar light hanging above their roosts so I was hoping that familiarity would register that that’s where they go to sleep. I’m new to this and learning lots as I go! Last night I had to try a couple different girls in the coop first before anyone else would follow and it took maybe 10 minutes but they all went in willingly except one, but she was always the one I had to chase around the brooder to take outside too. “Hettie” always likes to do her own thing!