Moved to the coop - worried, questions

[whitedog5]

Total newbie here. Never had chickens before. We have 7 five week olds, fully feathered. We moved them from the garage brooder out to their coop yesterday afternoon, with heat and we covered the windows, as it gets down to low 40's here at night. Their coop has a ramp down to an enclosed run and their feeder and waterer are hung in the run. They won't go down the ramp!! Last night I took them down into the run and they all ate and pecked around and checked it out. They really seemed to like it. Then we tucked them in for the night - I had to put them back up, they wouldn't go up the ramp. I placed them toward the top and made them figure out the last little bit but had to kinda push them to go up. This morning I opened the door to their ramp and they just stand at the top. I'm worried about them not eating and drinking if they won't come down??? My DH says they'll come down when they're hungry and I shouldn't worry. Now today it's raining and breezy and I'm worrying about temp, too. I was planning to just leave the lamp on around the clock. (highest temp we've had yet is 70; high 50's next couple days) Am I worrying for nothing??? DH built the coop from pics off the site here (it's the Wichita "cabin coop", https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=66725-wichita-cabin-coop).

Thank you in advance for any thoughts, advice, etc. We love these girls and are quite invested at this point. I don't want to mess it up!

Cynthia

 

[carrlr]

Don't think you have too much to worry. For some chickens it just takes a while to get used to their surroundings. You have the right idea by placing them back and forth yourself. Might want to consider keeping food/water in the coop until they are familiar with coming and going.