new flock won't go in coop

[ShanJone]

We have an existing flock of 8 hens - barred rock, americaunas, cherry eggers, and buff orpington. This summer, we got 8 new chicks - speckled sussex and gold and silver-laced wyandottes. These new chicks are not getting it - we kept them inside our garage for a while, then built a new temporary coop for them with an attached run - they stayed in there until they were big enough to join the flock. Even while they were in their temporary coop, they were horrible about going into their coop - they would end up on top of the coop. When they occasionally made it into the coop, they never roosted, they just all huddled together near the door.

Now that we've moved them successfully into the rest of the flock, they are not returning to the coop - they are going back to sleep on top of the temporary coop. We have the door to the run closed so they just go on top. We locked all in the coop for 2 days before letting them out in the attached run. We tried letting them free range and they slept on the temporary coop. So we put them back in and kept them in the coop and attached run for a whole week - finally let them out tonight and they were right back on the temporary coop top

What can we try? Are they just broke?? Will we never get to let them free range anymore?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Chickens don't like switching homes. How big is your coop? Could be it's too scary and small for them to want to go in there with the older bossy birds, especially since their perfectly fine home that they used to live in is still there. Chickens in general don't like going in small dark spaces. Could you share some pictures of both set ups?

 

[ChickNanny13]

How old are the "chicks"? If you got them this past Summer, estimate them being around 16wks....Close off the "temporary coop", that's home to them. You'll need to confine them to the coop you want them in for a few weeks but you need to close off the "temporary coop". Chickens don't take to well to changes, they're not "broke" just young & no clue that you don't want them in the TC.

My BOs slept on the ground, in the corner by the door until they were about 19wks. They loved being up on the roosts during the day but wouldn't sleep on it. I have a poop board under the highest roost over their nest box/plastic dog house for easy cleaning. I got tired of cleaning poop off the shavings so when it got dark I put them on the roost. Took couple of nights but they've been up there since.

They can free range with the rest once they know which coop they should be in & become part of your original flock.

 

[azygous]

You have several things going against you. Chickens are creatures of habit for one. That's pretty powerful. They hate change.

Another thing is youngsters are intimidated by older chickens, and don't normally feel entitled to use the same coop and roosting perches for fear the older ones will give them a beating.

The other thing is that youngsters don't automatically know they're supposed to go inside the coop when night comes. They need to be taught. They also need to be taught how to roost or it can take forever for them to catch on and quit sleeping on the floor.

Normally a broody hen will show her chicks these things, but without one, you're it.

Make sure there are plenty of perches and the chicks can find space away from the intimidating adults. Then you need to patiently show them how to go in and roost each night. It helps if it's lighter inside the coop than outside as you're doing this. It shouldn't take too long and they'll be going in on their own and roosting where you've taught them.

One other thing, it helps to block access to the old coop. Put some unpleasant barrier across the top of the coop to discourage sleeping there.

 

[aart]

How big is your coop?

This is the most important question.....
....size and pics(inside and out) of both coops would be most helpful in pinpointing any problems.

Oh, and, Welcome to BYC!!

 

[ShanJone]

Here is our set up. The pics inside are the big coop. One of the new chicks (they were born 6/6 I think) is up with the older hens. They all seem to get along in the actual run.

 

[ShanJone]

Oh and the close up of the overhang on the blue/temporary coop is where they sleep (even when they were in the temp coop - they usually ended up there and we had to put them in the coop).

 

[aart]

Oh, that big coop looks plenty big for 16 birds.
Might want to leave them all confined in the big coop/run for few days.
Might also put up a separate temp roost for the youngers, might make them more likely to roost in big coop.

 

[Photokitty]

We had to manually place 41 new chickens in our large coop. That was fun. I left their fluffy butts in there until noon the next day. They all went back into the coop until I accidentally left the coop door closed one night. I opened it but a few weren't going in so I left them with the ducks. Lol it seems to take just one night with the ducks that they go in the coop the next night. But you may have to physically move them.