tired of skooting my birds from the coop

[maggiegigs]

I have built a beautiful coop/run area with an additional 30x50open run w/a wildflower garden for the girls to free range. Early morning I have to skoot them out of the coop OTHERWISE they do not leave. Once out....they follow me down to the garden and pick around for about an hour or so and then head back to the coop. Is this normal???????? To want to be in their coop as much as they do?
I have had them only two weeks...perhaps they were raised in an enclosed coop and run! Not sure. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[GeeVee]

I bet they just need more time to acclimate and get comfortable. our girls pace back and forth at the gate of their run until we let them out into our whole yard. I think yours will love their open space and garden you made for them once they are more comfortable.

 

[oldchickenlady]

How old are they? When mine were younger they would hardly leave the area right in front of my house. In fact they would come up on the porch and poop all over it! They liked to hang out under the shrubs in front of my porch and seldom ventured more than a few feet away. Now they are 17 weeks old and they go all over my 7.35 acres. They go into the woods, the horse pasture, and you can't even see them! Worries me when they do that, but they will eventually work their way back to the yard for a drink and a treat. I can usually call them in if I am concerned, but sometimes they either wont come or they are far enough away they can't hear me. At least they aren't on my porch all the time!

 

[maggiegigs]

They are 20 weeks now. However, I have only had them two weeks. They tolerate me very well and will follow me. And when I did open their gate they headed right under my bushes and stayed there all day. The problem is there is "landscape fabric" underneath the mulch so they could not eat anything. They would peek their little heads out now and then and grab some grass but pretty much that was it.
Perhaps that is enough. I kept water there for them but kept giving them food because I did not think they were getting enough.
So I transferred their run to the garden area for more foraging and they seem to like it early morning for a short period of time. Then they want to go back into the coop for the afternoon; which is fine. My DH thinks I am OBSESSING!!!
However, I do not want to keep throwing food into the shrubbery. What do you think?

 

[sunflowerenvy]

be lucky they do go back to the coop in the afternoon. maybe they will lay the eggs in coop not all over your land. i would be happy about that. i would not feed the m under the brushes. . throw it out near the coop

 

[maggiegigs]

Thanks very much! I appreciate your insight. They are very happy I must admit. A little skitterish. I guess in due time they will be fine.

 

[maggiegigs]

Will they eventually leave the coop on their own or will they just become use to me skooting them?

 

[sunflowerenvy]

they will leave the coop in time just like children leave parent home lol

 

[maggiegigs]

LOL! Your right! Thanks again. I'll stop obsessing.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Did you put a waterer in the run for them? Also, are there hawks in the sky that might be spooking them?