Newbie to Chickens and have a question about coop/run behavior.

[Woooosh]

I have much appreciated this site and the posts. It guided me to embrace having backyard chickens. I design and built an insulated coop with a run and basically get off to a pretty good start. Thanks! I started with 15 day-old straight run chicks four weeks ago. I chose a cold-hearty breed for my location. Still don't know what I have in terms of hens yet. My coop was intended (based on me egg needs) for six or so hens and that's what I am hoping to end up with- plus a rooster.

The first week they were indoors in a small brooder. The next week I began using the new coop for a brooder by closing the pop-hole, covering access to the external nesting boxes and installing two 250-Watt heat lamps. All went very well. Last week I took the pop hole door off and the chickens eventually discovered the outdoor run. They come and go from the coop during the day but choose to sleep outside on the chopped straw. Why won't they return to the coop to sleep at night? Are they just too young? They still sleep laying beside each other.

The labs are fine with the chicken and keep predators off the property. I do want to eventually let them roam around outside, but since they don't even know where to sleep yet I think I'm a month away from that. I know most chickens will wander around all day and then return up the ramp to their roosts in the coop. But I think a pecking-order needs to be created and them to bea bit older than they are now. At least I think so.

Your thoughts?

 

[Toddrick]

How old are they now? 4-5 weeks? That seems young to me. I moved mine into a crate from 4-8 weeks, before putting them in the coop.

I guess you could continue to keep the coop closed for a couple more weeks. Keep the nest boxes blocked off or they will sleep and poo in them. Me and several others have noted that we had to manually put them in the coop at night for several nights in a row before they started going up the ramp on their own.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It may take a while. Chickens love fresh air so that could be part of it. You can lock them up in the coop at night and they may imprint on it. They may just choose to always sleep in the run. If it's predator proof, that's OK.

 

[GitaBooks]

Welcome to BYC!

Congrats on the chicks. And lovely coop!

Chicks will stay sleeping in their "nest" until they are around 1 month old, when their mother shows them where to perch. When they are learning to perch they can get confused about where to go for a couple days, but if they are placed in the right perching area they should learn. Let them practice perching on thick branches or bricks so they can exercise their wings and feet.

My chicks know where their nest is and return to it whether they are free range or not. However, when they are learning to perch, as I've said, they can get confused. You could wait or you could start letting them out.
Sometimes a chicken gets trapped outside of a pen because they can't find the entrance, so make sure they know where that is.


Best of luck!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Since they are so young, training practices with older chicks may not work. Generally chicks are moved out to the coop when fully feathered out 6-8 weeks. If they are kept in the coop for a period of days, they 'fix' on it as their home and will go back inside at dusk.

I think allowing them to sleep outside at night will only encourage them to stay outside once they are free ranging. They would probably then roost in trees at night, where predators like raccoons could just pick them off. Birds tend to stay put in the dark so are easy targets. Also owls would be thrilled to share a branch with them.

 

[Suecombs]

I am amazed by your coop. I have six (9) week olds. When they become to big for the broody I caught them all at dusk and put them inside the coop and closed the door for the night with water and chick food. Babies that young need access to water and food even at night. It only took three or four nights before they all went into the nesting area to roost all by themselves. I spent time with them everyday and give them fresh fruit or different kinds of veggies. They love to dig and find bugs on their own. They really like to take dust baths. Good luck with your little flock.

 

[Woooosh]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I think I opened the pop-hole and gave them run access a week or so too soon. It was getting crowded in there as I have 15 straight-run chicks (and a duckling). I may have put down too much cut straw in the run and they are enjoying it to sleep on. During the day they spend a lot of time coming and going inside the coop. Yes, the nest boxes are covered and they have food and water in the coop and in the run. It's summer- hopefully the first chill will tell them it's time to spend nights in the coop and the first snow will reinforce it.

As bad luck would have it, last night I heard coyotes howling out back and coyote pups barking (while the mother was likely out hunting). One neighbor's cat is missing and a dog roughed up but there are lots of wild turkeys I hope they focus on. My coop/run are secure and I used hardware cloth all around it, including buried. I have six Labs (one 150 pounds) and none would allow a coyote on the property unchallenged. For now I put a trail camera out to see who drops by at night and won't be letting them out without supervision.

When do most people get rid of surplus roos? I want to end up with 6 hens and a rooster by winter. I would want to keep the rooster with the best temperament- which takes time to develop. I've also heard it's hard to be 100% certain and just wait until they crow to determine...

 

[GitaBooks]

They all look very happy!
Young chickens especially seem to like to sleep down on the ground, outside, especially when it is warm. this shouldn't be a problem if the fence is secure.