Rejoice the coop is done.....BUT...

[brounii]

You all are great. Thanks for all the replies, but it appears I was just not patient enough, lol. My daughter was able to lure them out with fresh grass and food and patience (which I apparently don't have much of). Now they are happy girls checking out their new digs.

 

[Cargo]

Your coop really looks nice. I will have to paint my next coop with the barn red and white style.

 

[midd2005]

i've had my girls in their coop/run for a few months now. it's warm enough here that they don't really have a coop, just a part of the run has some extra protection from the elements. today i thought it would be a good idea to add sand, using some of the last remaining cash flow to my name (oy am i dumb). so i let them out for a little yard roaming while i shoveled it in. then, when i was about half done (you didn't expect me to do it all today, didya?), i shooed them back in. the second it hit their feet, raw terror ensued. it was horrible. they flew higher than i have seen them fly before. they flew into the walls. they ran from me like i was the devil, all while trying to keep their feet from touching the terrible terrible sand. one by one, i was able to grab them and set them up onto their roost, until i had them all up there. i thought i was sure to lose one from the stress of it all. they stood up their with their mouths gaping and wings hanging low for 30 minutes. i'm guessing their little hearts were racing, and they couldnt catch their breath or keep their temps down. eventually, they calmed down but no way were they coming off that roost. i figured i'd leave them for a while and see if somebody got brave. an hour passed. nothing. two hours passed. nothing. third hour i decided some bribery was in order. i got some handfuls of tasty lettuce and fed them some nibbles. then i set it on the ground. they were not fooled.

so i grabbed one of them, the bravest, and set her on the ground with the food. she was distracted enough that it wasn't like before. still, very nervous though. one by one i grabbed the rest and did the same. it pretty much worked and within a half hour they were hopping around like it was the good ole pre-sand days.

but dang was that a stressful day. hopefully the addition of more sand tomorrow won't induce ACT II.

i like your coop too. looks so clean and healthy.