They won't go into the coop at night

[DickGJ]

BTW --- Mine are only 5 weeks old

 

[pechara]

I'm having the same issue. I think just some patience and some treats will do it. I think I will lock them back in for another 3-4 days and try again.

 

[DickGJ]

I may lock them in, put jail bars up and throw the key away. Then they'll be "jailbirds"...I may even limit their treats to crumbs and water just to show them who's boss around here!

 

[maclady]

DickGJ-Good luck with that. Let me know how long you hold out on not giving treats. I will probably just keep catching mine and putting them in until they figure it out themselves. They are just so happy to be out of their brooder and outside that I think they don't exactly love the idea of a coop. Unfortunately my coop is more secure than my run for nighttime so into the coop they go. I have tried the treats inside the coop but no luck until I put them in. I have very picky BOs when it comes to food.

 

[Knittycat]

Well at least I'm not alone in this delema.

This morning I opened the coop and nobody came out. I guess they've decided it's easier to stay in!

 

[DickGJ]

I'm looking forward to my return home after work today...I opened the ramp this morning to see if any of my dummies can figure it out. In the past week, I got so frustrated waiting for them to use the ramp that I opened to main doors to allow them to jump like lemmings from the elevated coop floor! I'm figuring maybe that was the problem...I let them jump out the main door without really forcing them to use the ramp. From this morning forward I'm determined to wait them out on using the ramp. If they run out of food inside the coop, they better learn they've got to come out. I'm guessing I'll give in if it gets to that, but that's how I'm beginning to feel.

Nope, from what I've read here on BYC...we've got a lot of company. It seems most everyone has experienced it in the beginning (except the lucky ones with "intelligent chickens")

 

[Knittycat]

Well I changed out their roost today. Instead of 1x3s I got several large branches off a neighbors dead tree. They seem to like that better. I also added more treads to the ramp. So here's hopein'!

 

[DickGJ]

Partial success for me today...I had half go inside using the ramp tonight. The other half remains clueless...had to hand invite those dumb clucks back inside. At least progress is being made!

 

[Knittycat]

Allright! They were in the coop tonight!! AWESOME!!

No more chasing them down!! They still weren't on the roost, but at least I didn't have to crawl on my hands and knees under my coop to grab unwilling and flailing chooks!

 

[DickGJ]

Congrats!

I heard some breeds don't favor roosting...some of mine do use the roosting rests while other seem to prefer bedding down on the floor.