Chickens barely get out of the coop

[CalgaryFarmer]

My chickens have only been here for 3 days, so they barely get out of the coop

It is my experience that chickens take a while to feel safe in a new environment, so it is not surprising they are wanting to stay in the coop. I would leave the food and water in the coop for a couple of weeks and then move out if you want.

 

[cesargtapia]

It rarely freezes in Spain. Cold water is fine to make a mash.

I live in the mountains near Madrid, and it's colder here than in other places in Spain. It's not super harsh, though, so water freezing is not really an issue. In winter we can get to -5/-6°C at night, but during daytime we are usually around 0°C, give or take.

It's not too hot in summer either. Maybe 30°C on the hottest days of July.

 

[BDutch]

I live in the mountains near Madrid, and it's colder here than in other places in Spain. It's not super harsh, though, so water freezing is not really an issue. In winter we can get to -5/-6°C at night, but during daytime we are usually around 0°C, give or take.

It's not too hot in summer either. Maybe 30°C on the hottest days of July.

Amazing. These are almost the same temps like we have here.

 

[Judy Todd]

I know you've gotten differing opinions with water, but I'll weigh in with mine too.

I don't put water in the coop as I want it to remain dry. My birds go to bed as early as 4:30 in the winter and then don't get let out via auto door until 7:45 AM regardless of winter or summer. No one has ever suffered from not having water during those hours and they don't run to the waterer and drink like they're dying - they're used to the schedule. Chicks get fully moved into the coop at around 5-6 weeks of age and even from that age they're fine without water access until 7:45 AM. So long story short - your birds are fine as long as they're willing to step outside to eat and drink during daylight hours.

As far as their shyness, that can be pretty normal since they're newly arrived. Unless you have one really bold chicken to sort of encourage the others to go out, they're more comfortable being in hiding right now.

Yes, this used to work before global warming upset everything. I, now have water in the coop on top of a warmer as the excessive cold weather for the last few years has the water outside is frozen solid each day throughout the day. Inside , I put it on a cement block with smaller blocks around for small hens, no spill so far to worry about .

 

[Bertha2]

Hey folks! This is my first message in this forum. I just got my first 4 hens, and I don't know anything about chicken care yet, but I'm super excited about it

My chickens have only been here for 3 days, so they barely get out of the coop. I moved their food and water out of the coop, and they get out to eat and drink, and go right back in.

I know that it will take some time, so that's ok, but in the meantime I'm not sure what I should do at night. I don't want to bring the water into the coop, because they spill it and make a mess with the bedding, but I'm not sure if it's ok to keep them without water for 13-14 hours (around here sun goes down at 7pm, and I open the coop door around 8am-9am).

Thank you!

Hey There!
How old are the chickens? Where are you located? Where did you get them? How big is the coop? Does the coop have a hen house and a run? How many egg boxes? Did you build the coop? How big is it?

If the chickens were used to being confined, it will take them a few days to start wondering further from the coop. Be aware of predators and have places around the yard for them to hide, just in case. We have hawks that come around regularly. I have built them little shelters scattered around the yard, which have been very useful.

In the morning, I scatter chicken scratch outside as part of their routine. After breakfast I feed them banana peels, cabbage and a carrot cut into pieces. They also love papaya peels - their favorite. In the afternoon, I give them mealworms - not to many.

I have a large galvanized water can raised from the ground on cinder blocks, this way they do not spill it. I have an additional plastic one outside in the yard. The chickens do not need water at night; therefore, I do not keep water inside the chicken house. It is not good for them to have all that moisture and if it freezes it makes it colder in the hen house. My flock goes to bed at sundown and usually come out around seven-seven thirty these days (I have an automatic door opener). If you get an automatic door opener, get a good one like Run chicken door Model T50. It is a little pricey but worth the money. Make sure you get the extended warranty, my first one broke one week after the one year warranty. I had others which also did not last long at all.

The chicken house has bamboo floors which make it very easy to clean each day, I do not use any bedding. I found it to be cumbersome to clean and smelly.


Happy chickening!

 

[Foxinthehenhouse]

Hey folks! This is my first message in this forum. I just got my first 4 hens, and I don't know anything about chicken care yet, but I'm super excited about it

My chickens have only been here for 3 days, so they barely get out of the coop. I moved their food and water out of the coop, and they get out to eat and drink, and go right back in.

I know that it will take some time, so that's ok, but in the meantime I'm not sure what I should do at night. I don't want to bring the water into the coop, because they spill it and make a mess with the bedding, but I'm not sure if it's ok to keep them without water for 13-14 hours (around here sun goes down at 7pm, and I open the coop door around 8am-9am).

Thank you!

I never have my food or water in the coop. They will do fine w/o for the night.

 

[Dragonfly Farm]

Maybe you could find something flat and raised to out the waterer on? I have a heater for the winter that keeps the chickens from spilling it. View attachment 4052016You can kind of see it to the left!

 

[Dragonfly Farm]

How old are your chickens?
As for the water situation, in the winters (in Maine), I always used a heated dog water dish. They are deep, keep the water from spilling and are generally too heavy to tip over. If your flock is strong and aggressive, put a brick or heavy stone in the bowl.

 

[troy325]

What's the weather like where you are? Right now mine are spending most of the day in the coop as it is cold and breezy and they don't like the snow. That could be a reason.

Definitely don’t like the snow I have no heater whatsoever Northwest Arkansas area and I haven’t lost a chicken in three years so far!

 

[Chickenbubble22]

Hey folks! This is my first message in this forum. I just got my first 4 hens, and I don't know anything about chicken care yet, but I'm super excited about it

My chickens have only been here for 3 days, so they barely get out of the coop. I moved their food and water out of the coop, and they get out to eat and drink, and go right back in.

I know that it will take some time, so that's ok, but in the meantime I'm not sure what I should do at night. I don't want to bring the water into the coop, because they spill it and make a mess with the bedding, but I'm not sure if it's ok to keep them without water for 13-14 hours (around here sun goes down at 7pm, and I open the coop door around 8am-9am).

Thank you!

Your adult hens would be okay that long without water, although it's not ideal, and baby chicks should not go that long without water. I would definitely recommend investing in an automatic chicken door at some point - I have one and it is super nice that I don't have to get up early every day to let them out, mine detects the light and opens automatically at dawn. It's also solar-powered so I don't have to mess around with changing batteries or anything. I also live in a place with very cold winters, and my door has been very good about closing despite the cold, snow, and ice. I have the RUN-CHICKEN door and depending on the kind you get they can be pretty well-priced.
Putting your waterer up on a platform should help to have less of a mess on the floor and have less bedding and junk get into the waterer. I've also seen people recommending nipple waterers, which I also use and have been pleased with. I use regular waterers in the summer, but as I said, we have really cold winters where I live and my birds were only getting water once a day, and they only had the water for a short period of time until it froze. They also made big messes with it, so I got a nipple waterer and ran a heater in it so it stays liquid all the time. There is some gradual ice buildup beneath the nipples as the water that drips freezes, but it's not much, and it works!
Good luck with your new birds!!