- Oct 20, 2010
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We have 4 Columbian Wyandottes that are 11 weeks old now, they have been in our elevated coop for several weeks. This weekend, we decided to let them "free range" in the backyard for the first time. We put up their "ladder" and they made attempts to come down it (but mostly just flew down). All the chicken books say that they will automatically return to the coop at sundown, but ours didn't. We had to chase after them and finally lift them back in the coop. We let them out twice over the weekend and had to put them back in both times. Do they need to be shown/trained on how to use their ladder to get back in? They mostly want to hide under the coop instead of going back in. The ladder ends up at about a 45 degree angle...doesn't seem like that would be too steep but maybe it is?