Moving girls to a new coop question.

[jp57]

I am going to be building a new coop and run for my girls. The new coop is not going to be visible from the old one. Other than locking them inside the new coop for a couple of days, how do I get them trained to use the new one?

 

[Ms Clucky]

Close them in the new one for a week.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Locking them for a few days should do it, for the most part. Once you let them out expect them to still be a little confused for a couple days more, so they may need some help going back into the coop at dusk.

 

[aart]

I am going to be building a new coop and run for my girls. The new coop is not going to be visible from the old one. Other than locking them inside the new coop for a couple of days, how do I get them trained to use the new one?

Even if it was in sight, they are gonna want to go to the old one. Locking them in really is the best way to 'home' them to the new coop?
Will the new coop have a run?
Will the old coop be gone?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am going to be building a new coop and run for my girls. The new coop is not going to be visible from the old one. Other than locking them inside the new coop for a couple of days, how do I get them trained to use the new one?

From my perspective you have two issues, sleeping and laying. You need to break both habits and train them to new habits. The easy way for both is to lock them in the coop or coop + run for a few days. I'm not sure how far away that old place is but they will probably want to go back for both sleeping and laying. If the old building is not available and open they may just sleep and lay in that general area. Could you please share why you don't want to lock them in the new coop for a few days? Maybe that would help with our response or maybe we could see another way.

As far as sleeping you can try moving them from the old one and locking them in the new coop overnight. When they are on the roosts at night is the easiest way to catch them. They might catch on after one night, this might take a week or more. I'm not sure where they will try to sleep if they don't accept the new one or go back to the old one. It could easily be trees. This may work, it my make the situation worse.

I don't know how to train them to lay in the new coop without locking them in there while they lay. I have had success getting them to lay in nests instead of on the coop floor when they try that. When they go onto their nest on the coop floor I catch them and lock them in a real nest until they lay that egg. Usually once is enough to get them to switch, but that is in the same coop. I'm not sure how practical it would be for you to be there when they go to the nest to lay and then move them to the nest in the new coop, a nest built so you could lock them in there.

 

[jp57]

I wasn't against locking them in there for a week. They normally free range and I was just wondering if there were other options. The new coop, which has a run, is about 100 yards from the old one. I am keeping the run to the old one closed so they can't get to that coop. I am only keeping the old one up, because I have some 6 week old chicks that are going to be moved outside shortly. I was going to start them in there until the older ones get used to them. I kept the older girls locked in their new coop/enclosure for a week and then set them free. The problem I am having now is at night, they are trying to get into the old enclosure, and not the new one. I have to take treats out and lead them back to the new one. They are laying in the new coop daily.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Having a second set-up is very convenient. I'd also leave it up if I could.

Doesn't sound too bad, at least they are laying where they should. That is a win.

You can keep doing what you are doing or lock them in that coop/run a little longer, say another week. At some point they will catch on.

 

[jerry87]

I have a related question. Just moved mine. Have a slanted 3 row roost they all want the top. They are getting knocked off flying from roost on one side in to the wall on the other side afraid they're gonna get hurt. How long to establish order? Do i need another high one? Also should i have some kind of light? Moved them a couple days ago kept them in for a day let them out a day. Boy howdy it was a pain gettin them all back in lol

 

[Ridgerunner]

Have a slanted 3 row roost they all want the top. They are getting knocked off flying from roost on one side in to the wall on the other side afraid they're gonna get hurt. How long to establish order? Do i need another high one?

There are always exceptions to anything chicken but most chickens prefer to sleep as high as they can. The ones highest in the pecking order get to sleep where they want, the others have to make do with what is left according to how they rank. It's not that unusual for a more dominant chicken to push another chicken out of their way or peck a chicken when they are headed to their favorite spot even after they have been in the same coop for months. Bedtime is often kind of rough. Even if you make all your roosts the same height they will still have favorite spots, in my coop that is close to a window.

People have been using ladder type roosts for thousands of years, they have also used roost all the same height. When they sleep in trees they sort themselves out on different branches and at different heights. You can certainly try putting up another roost at the same height, it could help and I encourage experimentation, but don't expect it to ever be entirely peaceful. It could settle things down some though.

Also should i have some kind of light? Moved them a couple days ago kept them in for a day let them out a day. Boy howdy it was a pain gettin them all back in

I don't know how dark your coop is, so I don't know if you need a light. It depends on how many windows you have, where they are located, where the coop is located, and maybe if you have some type of security night light in the general area. Lights inside the coop at dusk help some people but are totally unnecessary for others.

I don't know where you moved them from or what your set-up is like. Chickens are creatures of habit. If they are used to laying in a certain place they usually really want to lay in that place. They may or may not move from one nest to another in the coop but they generally want to lay in that coop. There are exceptions to that too but it is a general trend. If they are used to sleeping in one spot they want to return to that spot to sleep. Locking them in the new coop for one day is not going to break that habit any more than you are going to break one of your habits by not doing it once.

For some chickens a week will be long enough to break them of the habit of where they sleep, for some it may not be. If your coop is big enough leave them locked in there for a full week at least before you let them roam. If you have a run associated with that coop you can leave them locked in the coop and run for that week. They might or might not try to sleep out in the run at first, so when they have settled down for the night move them to the coop. Once it gets dark they are usually pretty easy to catch. Of course that depends on how dark it is down here.

Or train them to come when called. Put a treat like corn or Black Oil Sunflower Seeds (BOSS) in a bucket. Rattle that bucket ad give a specific call like "Here chicky, chicky" while tossing them a small amount. It should not take that long before they come running whenever you rattle that bucket and call them. So lure them into the new coop not that long before dark, then lock them in there. They should learn to go in on their own before too long.