Pop door and roosts are done

[cmjust0]

Chickens have been in the coop for some time now, but I only got around to doing the pop door and setting up the roosts the past weekend.

They won't use either... They walk over to the door, peer nervously outside, then RUN back to the corner squawking and flapping..

They bed down under the roosts at night, too...nobody's got the guts to fly up and check it out.

Oh well.. Even if they don't appreciate all my hard work, I can still appreciate the fact that it's DONE and I don't have to think about it anymore.

 

[flopshot]

give them a way to get to the roost. they may not feel there's enough room to fly. as for the door, if it's the only way out they'll eventually use it.

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Hadn't thought about providing a roost ramp.. As lazy as mine seem to be, though, I think I might need to construct them an escalator.

As for the door...they don't seem at all interested in going outside. I think I might stop at a bait shop soon and buy some waxworms to lure them out..

 

[Chirpy]

The best way I've found to get chickens to use their roost is to go out, after dark, and physically move each of them up to the roost. Usually after doing that for a few nights they all get the idea and go up there themselves. Sometimes you'll get a chicken or two that will take longer to get the idea. I had one girl I had to move for almost ten days before she figured it out herself.

It took my new chicks (they were about 8 weeks old at the time) a good two weeks before they would all venture out the pophole to the big scary outside world. Now, they are in line to get out when it opens.