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

[hennypennysmom]

UPDATE POSTED AT END OF THREAD...

This is our coop:

This is the Garden Coop design. As you can see, the henhouse is on the left - raised 3' off the ground, with a ramp up thru the floor. The entire coop is enclosed in 1/2" hardware cloth (sides,top), the hardware cloth is dug into the ground 12" all around. The forts knox of coops!

Here's my dilemma...

Our 7-8 week old chicks go in & out of the henhouse during the day, but roosting in the run, up on a perch, at night. My DH says they'll figure out how to go in. I'm afraid if we don't teach them NOW to go into the henhouse at night, that we'll be manually putting them in there during the winter. Will they "learn" on their own?

He's comfortable with letting them roost in the run @ night - I'm a worrier and would rather have them safe and snug (ramp raised) in the henhouse at night. In his defense, the coop is very secure.

So - settle a bet - who is right? If I'm right, how do we "train" them to go up into the henhouse? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated! They are very nice chicks....!

 

[Georgiagirl]

I friend of mine taught me this little trick and it worked for my chicks.

In the morning when I let them out I take out their feed. Through out the day I do give them treats.
At night when I go to put them up I place the feed back in the coop.
At first I had to run around and put them in the coop but after about a week they would wait to see me coming with the food and would run into the coop for food. Now it's not a problem. I can actually leave the feed in there all day now and every night around 8 they go in the coop.

 

[Jayare's Chicks]

I would say you need to gather them up each night NOW and put them in the coop because after a while it will be their nature to stay out there each night. The weather is probably better now to do this than to have to do it when it's freezing out later in the year. After about 2-7 nights of this they should learn to start going in on their own.

Good luck

Jayare

 

[DIMBY]

Yep, this is familiar territory for me, too. At five weeks old, my chicks were outside and the first night they refused to go into their hen house (similar ramp as yours). So, I got into the coop right at sundown the second night and literally picked each and every one up and placed them inside. It took five nights (which, by the way the 'chicken lady' at Murdoch's told me is about typical). Now at 14-17 weeks, they are all free ranging, but they DO go into their henhouse right before sundown each night, and I then close the gate so they'll be safe and sound.

 

[hennypennysmom]

Thanks...But I think you are referring to your chickens being let outside the coop entirely - our chicks are not free range (because of neighborhood dogs and mean neighbors)....it's me trying to get them into the henhouse part of the coop.....i know, it's a bit confusing!!

 

[hennypennysmom]

Dimby - Thanks for the pic and advice! My DH doesn't want to "help" them into the coop - and thinks they will learn it on their own - I"m thinking they are NOT going to learn it. I'm tempted to go out right now and put them in the henhouse (it's 10pm).....he loves them like i do, but he's a bit tougher than me!

 

[dixiechick]

I once had a frizzle flock of chicks who preferred to roost on the ground in the run rather than inside. The only thing I did was make sure they knew how to walk the ramp up. Once I was sure they knew the way, I left them alone. Then all of the sudden, one day they started putting themselves to bed.

I wouldn't worry. They'll figure it out.

Cool coop, BTW!

 

[DIMBY]

They weren't free ranged until one week ago Friday, before that it was coop and henhouse only -- I waited until they were almost fully grown to open the gate and let them explore. Perhaps I should explain, free range is my back yard, within my eight foot high fence and three dogs, which because they had grown use to the coop and henhouse in their 'territory" for more than two months, have caused no problems with the chickens.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

When you first put them out in the new coop and run, did you leave them locked up in the coop for a few days?

Many folks have said that works. It did for me. I put mine out at 6 wks old and it took me 2 wks to get the run finished. (10 chicks - large coop 12 x 12').

From day one, they went out of the coop and back in when dark out on their own without fear.

Good luck with yours. VERY NICE coop you got there.

 

[hennypennysmom]

sweetcheeks - no, we didn't do that - we read about doing that after they had been in the coop for a week or so. is it too late to do that? or would that just confuse them? they do love being outside in the run!