Moving day

[cosmicredneck]

Guys quick question here I'm gonna b moving chicks outside I got a 10x10 run with 2 coops when I release them should I put them inside one of the coops or just set em loose in the run just wondering if they'd find their own way into the coops to sleep at night

 

[eggbert420]

They will figure it out.

 

[CoolBeans]

I moved my 9 RI reds (9 weeks old) into the coop this past Friday. I kept them in the coop for the first couple days, yesterday I put them down in the 10 x 10 run. My thinking on this was I wanted them to "get used" to sleeping in the coop and to "impress" on them that the coop was Home, while the run was playtime. So far only 1 of the hens has figured out how to get down by herself, she flew right out this morning when I opened the small door. I gave her a "treat" of cooked left over brown rice with her normal feed, hoping the others would hear her excitedly eating and join her, but so far they are still "chicken" to come outside. (it will be close to 65 degrees today). I left the one in the run by herself. Either she will figure out how to use the ramp or her sisters will come down and join her.... hopefully......

 

[azygous]

Well, no. Chicks, especially very young ones, don't have the smarts or the experience to figure out on their own that the coop is "home" and it's where they're supposed to go at night.

Cooping them up for a couple days does get them used to being inside the coop, but it does nothing for their ability to understand that they need to go back in when night comes for the simple reason the coop looks much different to them when they get outside of it.

Putting a dim light inside helps. Then you need to show them how to go inside when night comes. If you have a full size coop it helps to go inside and coax the chicks in with treats. That way they learn to go in without the stress of being grabbed and stuffed inside. Stress makes the learning process take longer.

If you have a doll-house coop where you can't climb inside, then you need to gently pick them up and slowly guide them through the door. It helps to wait until the chicks gather together and begin making their bedtime cooing and trilling noises. That indicates, they're "in the mood" to go inside.

 

[Rwood5093]

Mine didn't figure it out. They were sleeping under MHP. Moved MHP, and we had to teach them again. Take MHP away, they tried to sleep on the roosts, so we had to go out after dark and physically put them in the coop. Took about 9 nights total, but each night the birds that stayed outside was fewer and fewer.
Now, it's their new normal.

 

[cosmicredneck]

Hmmm got some conflicting opinions here my line of thinking was I got eight chicks I figured I'd put 4 in one of the coops and let the other 4 in the run that way maybe if just one figures out how to get up and down the ramps maybe the rest will follow suit

 

[Rwood5093]

BTW, I have two coops also. I would put half in one, and half in the other. When they started going to bed on their own, sometimes 2 would go into one, and 11 in the other. Next night, it might be 4 and 7.

Finally, I just gave up. I figured as long as all birds were secure in a coop, I was OK with it. But now, they're bigger and 11 don't fit in the coop. They're starting to divide themselves between the two coops.

The only time I pay attention now is when it gets into the low 30s. I don't want a single chicken sleeping alone, so I will give it some bed buddies.

 

[CoolBeans]

Last night I did slowly kind of carry/walk/hop them up the ramp just before dark. I do have a LED bulb in the coop to entice them into the coop. I think it will take a few more days at least to train them. Yesterday all 9 of them were hand carried down and spent the entire day in the run playing. I gave them left over worms from fishing and even though each hen had a worm in her mouth they still ran around like someone was trying to take their worm. It was pretty funny. Before dark I walked them all up into the coop.

This morning when 1 flew right out and started pecking around in the run I was hopeful the others would follow. As of now, my wife says she's there's still only the one in the run and its seems happy and has food and water and its scratching around in the dirt. When I get home this afternoon I will put her sisters down with her and then "walk" them all back up the ramp after a few hours of play just before dark.

 

[cosmicredneck]

Rwood yea I was thinking about splitting them up 4 and 4 to a coop but I was kinda hoping all 8 would go into one that way I could get a few more chicks what do ya think the max number of birds I could put in there the run is 10 x 10 and like I said I got 2 coops ones slightly bigger than the other

 

[Rwood5093]

I will let someone else answer on space. I have a similar situation to what you want to do. I have 6 Easter Eggers brooding in the run. I hoped to reserve one coop for the older birds and one for the Littles, but I think I'm not going to force the issue. As long as they get along, I'm not going to be picky as to who sleeps where. Worst case (in case of bullying) , I will put the rocks in one coop and the Littles in the other. It will be interesting, for sure.

Good luck!