Pullet Training Academy?

[beegirl950]

I have thought about this for a couple of years. And I am very excited that my master carpenter friend is coming to visit. I have a lovely coop and run but trying to teach young pullets to roost in my big coop has always been a disaster. So I have asked my friend to build me a mini coop for my pullets before they start laying eggs. No nest boxes......just a diagonal configuration that has four roost bars a little closer together and a little smaller for young feet. If I can get em trained to roost as a group. Maybe when they start laying eggs and they get into the big coop, I will have less pullets craping in my nest boxes. Is this a good idea or am I just crazy?

 

[RojoMarz]

Seems like extra work for you and the pullets...First, they learn the little coop, then when they master that, they have to learn the real coop.

I've not had a problem with getting pullets to roost in the coop. My year round nightly practice is to wait until dark and then go remove feed (and water in the winter) from the run and count heads on the roost. When I have anyone in the nest box, I take them out and put them on the roost. They may hop down, but usually not, since it's dark and they can't really see where they are placed.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any photos of how your coop is laid out? Might want to spend the time and money making edits to the coop to make it friendlier for integration, rather than building a second set up.

Personally I've found having adults around invaluable for teaching chicks to roost. The chicks watch the grown ups and follow them up on their own.

4 week olds, 2 days after the brooder was closed up:

 

[aart]

Fix the existing problem instead of building a new coop.

Post pics of your existing coop showing roosts and nests.

Tell us about your flock, are these new pullets living with older birds?

 

[beegirl950]

 

[beegirl950]

My coop is 8 x 8, 5 boxes per side. Roost bars are as in the last post. I free range them in a relatively fenced in yard. I do rush my pullets outside because my brooders are small. 10 tops at a time. When I have young pullets, I house them in a mini-coop attached to my big coop and on the inside of the big coop, I put a large dog cage. It protects the little ones that are just too little to go roaming around in this wild place. So the little pullets can go in the mini-coop at night and roam into the big coop, still protected by the dog cage. They can see the big hens and see the behaviors that they need to learn. When they are in the mini-coop there is only one roost and there is not enough room for 10, Plus, the mini-coop is piece of crap and its really only designed for one or two hens.

So I want something better, maybe on wheels to put into the garage when not in use. I put everything on wheels. Even my brooders can get rolled into the corner and out of the way when not in use. I need a protected place for pullets for 10 weeks. Then they are big enough to deal with the big hens and all of the other dangers we have here at my wild mountain Tennessee home.

 

[Tired old Rooster]

Better to put them in the coop you already have and block access to the nests at roosting time for a while.

When I first got my pullets, the four of them took to the nest and snuggled up in a ball. So, I took the nest out and they snuggled up in a ball in the corner where the nest used to be. So I stuck a milk crate and the box my welding machine came in, into the place leaving little space over. They all took to sleeping on the roost and never looked back.

 

[nuthatched]

I just chuck mine into the coop and they usually figure it out in a week once they can fly up to them.
I have a broken wooden ladder in the corner of the coop while they're figuring it out, they start there.

 

[aart]

I made a hinged cover for my nests, for when I have pullets.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

Our 8 wk old chicks escaped the dog crate on Thursday and instant integration with older birds, went out to drop the chicken door at dusk and all 4 were on the lower roosting bar with the older birds on top bar. They started roosting on the feeder and waterer in the crate. It's instinct. Get high or get eaten.