Building and designing our coop.Exciting right- yet…

[Bigbluefrog]

I waited a few years before designing the new coop. I wanted to be able to walk inside it. Egg access from outside. Poop shelves. Brooder built inside.
The inside is almost done.
And yet the birds keep going to old coop! Augh!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Remove or lock up access to the old coop so they can't use it.

If temperatures are moderate enough and you have at least 4 sq ft of floor space in the new coop, you could also try locking them inside the new coop for a few days to home them to it. When I put in a new, bigger coop we locked our girls in for 48 hrs and after 1 day of token resistance they moved into the new one without issue.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

I waited a few years before designing the new coop. I wanted to be able to walk inside it. Egg access from outside. Poop shelves. Brooder built inside.
The inside is almost done.
And yet the birds keep going to old coop! Augh!

Lock them in for a day or two to force them to roost there. Block off old coop access.

 

[DobieLover]

And yet the birds keep going to old coop! Augh!

This is normal.
Block access to the old coop.
When my flock was moved into their new coop the first night I had to place each bird into the coop one by one. Then I left the lights on for the night so they could explore the coop all night long. When I opened the pop door in the morning they were released into the same pen they'd been using but still tried to go to roost that night in the old coop and were hanging around the closed door in the evening. I hearded them around to the entrance to the new coop and they readily went in. I had to do that a few nights before they did it themselves.
Chickens hate change. It takes them time to adjust.

 

[Lor]

Isn't that a shame they're not as excited about the new coop as you are?
Once they don't have access to the old coop I'm sure they will enjoy the new one.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Remove or lock up access to the old coop so they can't use it.

If temperatures are moderate enough and you have at least 4 sq ft of floor space in the new coop, you could also try locking them inside the new coop for a few days to home them to it. When I put in a new, bigger coop we locked our girls in for 48 hrs and after 1 day of token resistance they moved into the new one without issue.

We did lock them in for 24 hours. There is enclosed attached run with it. The old coop was locked but I cleaned it out and forgot to close the door. Didn’t think they would get in without the ramp- whoops! The enclosed run is pretty nice as well with low roosts. I probably need to move the old coop. Or lock it

 

[Bigbluefrog]

Isn't that a shame they're not as excited about the new coop as you are?
Once they don't have access to the old coop I'm sure they will enjoy the new one.

Me too! Although we are still working on it! Inside is done. I was missing our automatic door. So glad we got that done