UPDATE!After 3 days locked in chicks STILL won't go in henhouse YIKES!

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I've read past posts where folks did leave them locked up for a few days after having trouble with them not going to bed at night and it helped.

 

[mener6896]

this is a funny post...only because I have 32 - 4 week old chicks (also have 2- 13 week olds) I would try to go down and put all 34 into the coop at night around 9 pm. Our run is 10x40, so this wasn't an easy task, it usually took 2 people and was a comedy of errors!!

I then started waiting until 9:30 or 10, the older ones and about half of the babies would make it into the coop on their own. The other half would huddle in the corner of the run. I would easily move them into the coop.

After just a couple of days of doing this, they all go inside by themselves at night. We have lots of predators here so I feel better with them all locked inside.

 

[Marlinchaser]

I have a question about your coop, do you have any windows, they may not go into a totally dark area to rest, mine all prefer to get in thier spots and watch the sun go down(how romantic

) they need to be able to see so they can find a good spot inside.

 

[meezermom]

No, it isn't to late to lock them in the coop for a few days.
It does work VERY well. I have done this with 3 flocks & been successful each time, with only minor confusion (caused by early bedtimes or new chicks)
Good luck!

 

[hennypennysmom]

hmmmmm. went out there a few mins ago with a flashlight and woke them up - they were chirping at me from the high roost. as soon as i shown the flashlight away, they stopped chirping and settled down. they are too funny!

do you folks have food in the henhouse? or just outside? we've been given conflicting advice - some people say NEVER in the henhouse, others say NEVER in the run - it's very confusing for newbies like us!

maybe i'll leave them be tonight, and get set up for tomorrow putting them into the henhouse and leaving them there for a few days (of course with food and water!)....going to get one of those battery powered push-on lights too to hang in the henhouse - maybe that'll help. so you think 2 days straight in the coop might help our little feathered friends?

 

[hennypennysmom]

marlinchaser: the henhouse in our coop has a hardware cloth top, then the translucent roof so there is plenty of light in the evening. i'm thinking of adding one of those battery powered push-on lights though. i think that they are just going to stay put on their roost once they go up on it, because it's now pitch dark out there and i don't think they can FIND the henhouse afterdark!

meezermom: thanks for the encouragement - we're going to put them in tomorrow and leave them in for a few days (how many do you recommend?) and see how that works. i would really like them to put themselves to sleep in the henhouse so come winter, we are not having to do that ourselves.....!

we LOVE our chicks!!

 

[sojeo]

I'm a total sucker and use a bedlunch and nightlight to get them to go to bed regularly. If I come out early, I call them and they come running. If I'm later than usual, they are all in waiting for it. I will eventually ween them off of this once they are all grown, but I have 4 different ages of chicks, so they will be spoiled for awhile!

 

[hennypennysmom]

so....we locked the chicks in the henhouse part of our coop for 3 days - and they got to go out today (boy were they happy)

...it's 7:23 and they are not going into the henhouse - just wandering around - a few up on the roosts in the run.....i did buy one of those battery powered lights to use in the henhouse....so now should i just push them up the ramp?

they don't seem to be getting this.....!

they also aren't big table scrap eaters, they look at the lettuce we put there like it's a totally foreign object - they DO love corn on the cob though...!

(they are about 7/8 weeks now)

any advice? i was hoping this would help "train them up" (as my 7yr old says)...

 

[valentinebaby]

When I put my chicks in their new coop and temporary run, I would leave a pink light on in the coop and they seemed to "go towards the light". It was pink only because that is all I had to use in their brooder when I first got them and they were use to it. You may want to leave some sort of light on in the coop and they may be drawn to it as mine were.

Good luck!

 

[mener6896]

I hate to say this, but mine don't go into their coop until close to 10:00!! Thanks to DST! I can't wait for the time change back!