ARGH! Need HELP getting chicks in coop at night!

[kla37]

Our coop is set 4 ft above the ground and the space underneath is incorporated into their large run. We have a ladder going up to their coop, and it took a couple weeks for them to use the ladder to get up into the coop, and that is after I put a battery operated light inside.

I had to go out there every night and pick them up to put them to bed. Even rain didn't make them go to roosty time. They could certainly use it to get down, but not up. I put some traction tread for stairs on the spaces in between the slats on the ladder, and it still took another week for them to go up. Now they do every night, even without the light on. The coop is like Ft. Knox, so it's safe. Just took awhile!

 

[littlemissjellyfish]

Quote:
*laughing* LOVE the term "Roosty Time" So cute!

I know they are still little and it will take time. *sigh* I must have patience....


....and more treats!

 

[jenn-E]

Mine took 2-3 nights of me putting them in the coop before they started "putting themselves to bed." One thing I have found that I have also seen other people mention is that my younger chicks stay up later than the older ones. After a few nights of going out to check on them with a flashlight, I am pretty confident that they will take care of themselves in the evening. The 2nd night that my almost 6 wk olds were outside, it started raining right before bedtime. I ran out & found the little girls huddled up in the corner of their yard getting wet. They hadn't even bothered to try to go under the coop where it's dry. Luckily we don't get much rain in New Mexico! Keep working with them & they will get the hang of it eventually.

 

[littlemissjellyfish]

Well.. I got home from work this morning and let the chicks out of the coop. They raced around the yard a bit before they happily went into the chicken tractor. I didn't put their food in the tractor like I had been, but gave them plenty of water with ice. I did my chicken chores and went to bed. When it came to putting them in the coop I started early, know it could take a long while. *sigh* They flapped around the yard and then I opened the door to the coop. Nobody went in. I put 1 chick in and she found her food dish. I tried luring them in with treats. 4 more came in. Then they hopped out! *BIGGER SIGH* It was not pretty. I called my daughter for backup! We finally got 5 in the coop before I had to leave to go to work. My daughter will put the others in the coop when it gets darker. Maybe tomorrow will be better?? I hope so!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Try the nightlight in the coop tomorrow and see what happens at dusk.