not figuring it out

[florida chickenz]

my chicks are not figuring out their coop and run i have to put them in their coop at night and i have to put them in their run in the daytime and also do i put food in the coop and water in the run? i only have 3 chickens or do i have to put a feeder and waterer in the coop and the run??

 

[wsdareme]

Lock them in their coop for several days and they'll figure out that it's "home". Then you won't have a problem getting them to go in at night.

I have food and water 24/7 for them inside the coop. That helps keep the nasties out of their food, like mice and rats. They also have water in their run. And I feed them BOSS every day as a treat, throwing some out in the run and the rest in the coop so they turn the pine shavings over -- works great for the deep litter method.

 

[florida chickenz]

sorry if this is a dumb question but what is BOSS

 

[carrlr]

I agree lock them in their coop for a week and once you let them out, they should figure it out. I keep the water in the run where they have 24 hours access. Food is provided inside the coop.

 

[carrlr]

Quote:
Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. I give them as a treat, but not daily.

 

[lizch]

Mine aren't figuring it out either. I decided to wait till after dark yesterday to see if they'd go up to the coop, and found them huddled in a cold heap down in the run, despite a heat lamp burning away upstairs. And that's after about 10 days of being locked in the coop. I just have to keep the faith that they'll figure it out eventually!

 

[lizch]

Of course, the day after I post that they still haven't figured it out, they figured it out

I didn't do anything particular to help them. So I guess it's just a matter of time?

 

[joskt0204]

Mine are in an A-frame chicken tractor, and they haven't figured it out yet either. I go out there about 9 every night to find them asleep in the grass, all huddled together. I've been moving them to the nesting boxes up top every night and locking the ramp up, but they aren't figuring it out on their own. Annoying! I've been moving their food and water up with them every night, but they seem to sleep all night. I'm hoping they'll figure it out soon.

Their "tractor":