Putting chicks in the new coop.

[Firefighter315]

I was told I need to lock my eight chicks in the coop at first so the learn where home is. How long do they need to be locked in before turning them out into the run? Thanks for putting up with my ignorance!

 

[Ravynscroft]

I was told I need to lock my eight chicks in the coop at first so the learn where home is. How long do they need to be locked in before turning them out into the run? Thanks for putting up with my ignorance!

We don't learn if we don't ask, right?

If your run is secure, then I'd only lock them in the coop at night... after about a week (give or take, some learn faster or not) they will learn to go into the coop when it gets dark... chickens are good with routines, they just need to learn one...
Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[aart]

I'd leave them in just the coop for a week, then let them out into the run.

You'll probably have to put them in the coop at dusk for about another week......
.......but that is highly variable, depends on setup and individuals chickens.

 

[Firefighter315]

Thanks, I was wondering if I would have to put them in by hand for awhile.

 

[brideofchaos]

We had to move the majority of our 90+ chicks by hand into the coop at night until we learned our mistake...we had put two big wooden dog houses in the pen as a secondary shelter/playstructure. A lot of the chicks treated the doghouses as a coop so they were confused about the whole big coop business. We are taking out the dog houses this week and a lot of the chicks already migrate naturally to the coop ramp at night, since the heat lamp is on.

Lesson learned! lol

 

[Dreysander]

We have a secure run and I locked them in the coop for a few weeks at night, then I stopped locking them in at night. They get in there when it's dark now on their own.

The first couple of nights though I had to physically either pick them up and put them in there or bribe them in with mealworms. Only had to do it twice though.