Moving littles in with bigs

[jenjack72]

Hi, I have a question. I have a small coop that Ive used the last couple of years to keep my little girls in until the big girls get used to them ( it has chicken wire around it to make a little yard for them so the big girls can see them) This has worked great in the past. I usually close the little coop off after a week or two and the little girls figure out that they are supposed to go in the big coop with the big girls. Well, my dad got real sick for a few weeks and I was taking care of him a lot. I wasn't able to transition the little girls and now they will not go in the big coop, they stand outside the little coop until I finally just let them in. Any suggestions how to get them to want to go in the big coop? Thanks!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hi, I have a question. I have a small coop that Ive used the last couple of years to keep my little girls in until the big girls get used to them ( it has chicken wire around it to make a little yard for them so the big girls can see them) This has worked great in the past. I usually close the little coop off after a week or two and the little girls figure out that they are supposed to go in the big coop with the big girls. Well, my dad got real sick for a few weeks and I was taking care of him a lot. I wasn't able to transition the little girls and now they will not go in the big coop, they stand outside the little coop until I finally just let them in. Any suggestions how to get them to want to go in the big coop? Thanks!

You need to remove the little coop if possible or just keep it closed and with a dim light just after dark you need to put the little ones in the main coop on their roost a couple/three nights in a row---they will learn. Good Luck

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed. Just put them in the big coop at dusk.

 

[jenjack72]

Agreed. Just put them in the big coop at dusk.

Just went out and all four were on top of the little coop (upset that it was closed) with my husband's help, we grabbed each one and put them in the big coop. There was some rustling and noise for about a minute but it quieted down. Fingers crossed they do ok tonight! Thanks for the advice

 

[lazy gardener]

YVW.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Just went out and all four were on top of the little coop (upset that it was closed) with my husband's help, we grabbed each one and put them in the big coop. There was some rustling and noise for about a minute but it quieted down. Fingers crossed they do ok tonight! Thanks for the advice

Great----always do this with as little light as possible----none at all if you can see good enough without it. I keep a little flash light in my pocket with weak batteries just for this purpose. Good Luck

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm fond of my head lamp with red light setting.

 

[jenjack72]

Agreed. Just put them in the big coop at dusk.

J

Great----always do this with as little light as possible----none at all if you can see good enough without it. I keep a little flash light in my pocket with weak batteries just for this purpose. Good Luck

Thank you!!

 

[jenjack72]

So, the littles have spent three nights in the big coop. The only prblem is, I have a Barred Rock that is somewhat of a bully and she has been sitting in the doorway every night. The Littles want to go in when the sun sets, but she won't let them. My husband and I have to manually put them in the coop still. Any suggestions? Or maybe if we just keep putting them in my feisty Barred Rock wI'll back off a bit and let them come in on their own eventually??

 

[aart]

So, the littles have spent three nights in the big coop. The only prblem is, I have a Barred Rock that is somewhat of a bully and she has been sitting in the doorway every night. The Littles want to go in when the sun sets, but she won't let them. My husband and I have to manually put them in the coop still. Any suggestions? Or maybe if we just keep putting them in my feisty Barred Rock wI'll back off a bit and let them come in on their own eventually??

I'd shove her out of the way so the littles can go in. Might work.