tunnel from coop to run, girls won't use it!!!!

[jlasuzi]

HELP!!! I have 10 week old chickens. We just finished a 20 foot tunnel from the coop to their run. They are terrified of it. I am having to catch them twice a day and carry them back and forth. I have baited the tunnel, shoved them in it, pushed them with a broom, enticed them with a rooster at one end, to no avail. Any suggestions?

 

[chicmom]

Try sprinkling a little trail of cracked corn from one end to the other, and then just have patience. Maybe take up their food for a few hours just so they're really hungry.......Once one starts the others will follow.......Corn is just like irrisistable candy to chickens.

 

[Kudzu]

Crawl thru and let them watch.

 

[ThinkingChickens]

I agree about the treats. Chickens aren't particularly scholarly animals so food is a good motivator. Once you can get one through I'm betting the others will follow.

 

[jlasuzi]

I wish I could fit thru there, I would definitely try it!! As for treats, I have done that. I told my husband, the chickens are chicken! I am seriously considering tearing down all that hardwork and fencing in a small area to the run. Catching 26 chickens twice a day is NOT easy!

 

[chicken_noob]

Just park a old van on the other end of the tunnel with a sign on the side that reads "free corn inside" lol I have yet to build my coop/run. Can you drop a pic of this tunnel you have, I like to see others stuff and get different ideas.

 

[carrlr]

It's probably because it's dark. Have you considered running a rope light through it?

 

[jlasuzi]

Here is a pic of the tunnel. It does get light into it around the bottom of the roof line.

 

[BayouPoules]

Quote:

 

[Horizon Structures]

I agree to give it some time. In conjunction with the corn trail, what if you got just a couple of the hens (those higher up on the pecking order?) and carried them on the other side. Maybe eventually they would want to come back or the others would want to go to them and you would have chickens going through the tunnel.

I'm sure once they went though once or twice they will figure it out! Good luck!