Retraining to the coop

[Harleychicks]

Hello yall My chickens free range all day and return to the coop at night where they roost on a fence and it a tree inside the run. I was getting 2-6 eggs a day but now,for past 2 weeks, 0 eggs.
We integrated 6 new barnyard mix chicks into the flock and they all are accustomed to one another.
Is it possible to retrain\train them by locking them up in the laying area of the coop to remind and teach them where the eggs are supposed to be laid?

 

[sylviethecochin]

Yes. But are you sure that's your problem and not stress from introductions/mites/worms/an egg eater/a recent heat wave?

 

[dfalco]

I had to do just that. After a couple days back in the pen they were retrained to lay in their nest boxes.

 

[toomuch]

That happened to me my chickens would go roots on the trees instead of their coop. What i did was clip their wings and lock them in the coop for a week and that fixed the problem.

 

[Askme42]

That happened to me my chickens would go roots on the trees instead of their coop. What i did was clip their wings and lock them in the coop for a week and that fixed the problem.

I had this problem recently. All of them had been going back in the coop to roost for a couple of months.

We went on vacation for a week and they didn't get to free range at all. Came back from vacation and suddenly they wouldn't go back to the coop. They were roosting all over the damn place and some nights they just weren't worth fighting with. Actually lost one overnight one of these nights. I think I've finally got them trained back to roost in the coop.

 

[Harleychicks]

Yes. But are you sure that's your problem and not stress from introductions/mites/worms/an egg eater/a recent heat wave?

STRESS?!?!?!? My babies get better treatment than I get =) Frozen corn on the cobb during the day ,Its been a bit warm here in southern MS but nothing they aren't used to.

 

[Harleychicks]

Thanks for the help from all! Ima keep them inside for a day or 2 with feed and water in the coop and hope production comes back.

 

[aart]

Stress, yes, like adding new birds is stressful.
Is your coop big enough for all of them?
Crowding stress.
Have they always roosted in the run...is it protected from the weather and predators?