Do your chickens go in and out of your coop throughout the day?

I have six 12-week old chickens that have been living in their coop/run for about 3 weeks. Prior to that, they lived inside my house (while waiting for my husband to finish the coop). When I let them out of the coop in the morning, they come out into the enclosed run and stay out all day until they put themselves to bed at about 7:30 p.m. I move their food and water from the coop into the run when I let them out in the morning, and then move it back into the coop at night.

I notice that they will not venture back into the coop at all during the day. I watched them one day when we had a really loud thunderstorm (with heavy rain) and wondered if they would go back into the coop. Nope! They huddled under the raised coop (elevated about 30 inches off the ground) during the entire storm. I really think they just associate the coop with sleeping. Now I'm starting to wonder if they'll know enough to go back into the coop when it comes time to lay. I don't have the nest boxes set up yet but I will do that in the next 2 weeks or so.

Should I keep food inside the coop, as well as outside, during the day? Do you think they'll start being more comfortable moving between the coop and run during the day once they start laying?

Don't know how big your coop is but I prefer to leave the feed(2 locations) inside so during the course of the day the lower on the totem pole ladies get to eat in peace without being chased off. Often after the hens lay they will go eat before returning outside. I also have water inside and out except in the winter. The will get accustomed to everything eventually. I have a raised coop myself and the girls hang out underneath all the time,whether the weather is sunny, rainy, hot, snowy, cold, windy or something in combination of those. But will also cruise about in any condition as they were milling about in thunder and lightning and light rain the other day.

My chickens are only outside during the morning and late afternoon. They prefer being inside when it's oppressively hot and sunny (there is shade in the run). I throw scratch outside, but their food is always inside. Water is available at all times inside and out.

They will become interested in the nesting boxes when they're around 20 weeks old, you'll see them go inside, and get into the nesting boxes, and sort of check them out--investigate. They you'll be surprised one day and see an egg in the nest! Don't let them get into the nesting boxes too early. Maybe block them off until they're about 17 week old, because you don't want them to get into the habit of sleeping in the nesting boxes (and pooping in the nests).

Don't be surprised if you see an egg or two on the floor of the coop or run. That does happen at first.

Oh, you'll feel like it's Christmas or your birthday or something when you get that first egg! It's so much fun! Enjoy!

Sharon

Mine go in and out all day long. The food and water is located inside the coop. I notice the lower on the totem pole spend more time inside than the others...but they all go back and forth throughout the day. What size is your coop?

My coop is 8' x 8', with about. 9' ceiling at it's highest point, and my girls like to roost as high as they can get!

I think I will move some food and water inside soon, especially since I'm going to be integrating younger chicks (6 weeks younger) by the end of August.

My chickens and ducks free range in a large fenced in yard. They have food inside, and water outside (because the ducks make messes with water...). So they will go inside to eat when they want. I have two that are laying so far...at first they laid outside on the ground, so I took plastic Easter eggs, filled them with gravel, taped them shut and put one in each nestbox. Then I picked up my hen that was laying already and put her in the box. Since then, I've found all the eggs in the boxes.

My chickens also stay outside during bad weather though...I'm glad I'm not the only one with crazy/dumb chickens that don't seem to know to go in out of the rain! They will huddle together either by the side of the house, or under a plywood awning that we put up to give them shade...but they usually won't go in the coop to get out of the rain.

I have a large coop that my husband built off the end of our horse barn its about 20x25 with about 1/3 of it covered and the rest open as a run. I have there food and water inside but I also let them out every day to free range in my horse pasture. I always feed them there treats and scratch outside and unless its late I dont find them inside much unless its to lay or if they see me go inside it (there probably just chasing me down for treats... On the other hand I have a much smaller coop and run for my 5 Easter Eggers and I find that they dont go inside unless its getting closer to dark? There food is kept outside only. Maybe its just preference or the size of there coop and run? My easter eggers do the same thing, they hunker down under ther raised portion of the coop when the weather is bad... hope this is helpful

Sharon...

My Easter Eggers just started laying about 5 days ago and it does feel like chrisatmas at times... I find myself going out and checking for eggs a ton of times every day hoping that another one has started laying! so far it 3 out of 4...

Thank you for all the quick replies. Seems like most of you just keep the food inside the coop, with access to water both inside and outside.

I generally don't let the chickens out of their coop until between 9 - 10 a.m., and about 95% of the time, they're still roosting that late. I thought they would come down off their roost when daylight begins and start eating and drinking, but they seem to wait until I let them out and move the food and water to the run. I also notice that the head hen is the one who decides when to come down off the roost, and also when it's bedtime. I think the other chickens don't dare cross her! She's not mean at all though - at least not from what I've observed.