Will my chickens mind going on the coop after free ranging?

[GooseyMcGee]

We have raised some chicks. They are not fully grown yet so they don't live in the coop with the adult chickens and the rooster. They spend the nights and morning in a small pen. During they day we let them free range around our yard. Soon will have to move another set of chicks into the pen and move the adolescent chickens into the coop. Are they going to be terribly sad in the coop or are chickens to stupid to know the difference.

 

[4 the Birds]

Chickens will instinctively go into a coop or a place of safety at night. Having said that.... Young ones often need to learn of dangers and may not be as receptive to the coop as they start out. Hopefully your coop as a secure run so that they go in and out as they wish. Free ranging is great and a fenced area to set boundaries is best.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

We have raised some chicks. They are not fully grown yet so they don't live in the coop with the adult chickens and the rooster. They spend the nights and morning in a small pen. During they day we let them free range around our yard. Soon will have to move another set of chicks into the pen and move the adolescent chickens into the coop. Are they going to be terribly sad in the coop or are chickens to stupid to know the difference.

They will instinctively seek a safe place to sleep every night. It's not stupid at all--the coop is often the safest place for them. Once a hen perches for the night, she'll just sit there if a predator comes to pick her off--so she needs a secure location.

What might be a pain is that you might have to teach your chicks that the coop is the place to go. If you can fence them at first, this will be easier. First, lock them in the coop for a week. I promise this won't hurt them. Put a temporary fence around the coop. Snow fence is cheap. After the first week of being locked in, let them roam in the fence during the day with the coop door open. They will probably roost on the ground somewhere at first. Put them in the coop. Every night at dark, put them in the coop. With in 3-7 days, they'll all go into the coop at night and you can just shut the door. Then you won't need your temporary fence any more, and they'll go to bed every night from then on--unless they find a place they like better! If you train them to go into the coop at night, they will also instinctively lay their eggs in there. You don't want to have to go on an egg hunt every day!