Babies do NOT want to come inside!!!

[ShanCarl1971]

My babies are a little over 4 weeks old now. They have been gradually spending longer amounts of time outside in the run. Well, now they don't want to come back inside at all!! But, they have no night-time accomodations yet. The run will be predator-proof once i finish attaching the top, but still don't have a coop yet. I am feverishly working on a "halfway house" for them until I can get the large coop finished and moved. I feel so bad to have to force them inside every night, when all they want is to be outside!!

 

[ginger c.]

we're right there with you!!

 

[chikibabe]

lol what came 1st the chicken or the egg? I think allot of people are guilty of building their pens around their chickens, and chickens growing faster than the builder can build. It is sad and frustrating when you love your animals and cant give them what they want at eggsactly when they want it. Being inside is better than being a cats play toy tho. Good luck with the pen and good luck with your chickens.

 

[ShanCarl1971]

Thanks Chikibabe!! My husband has been complaining that I "Put the chickens before the coop", but I couldn't wait to get my babies!! LOL Hopefully, within the next couple of days, they will have a nice little house to call their own. (My husband thinks it's a temporary structure that we will take apart for later use of the lumber...... I doubt that!! ..... I will need a grow-out house, a quarantine house, or house for bantams , or SOMETHING I'm sure!! LOL) Everyone here knows how chicken math works! It's already hit me a couple of times and my oldest are only 4 1/2 weeks old!!

 

[write2caroline]

Try a nightlight like a solar light - and see if that helps. They will eventually figure it out - you can lock them in the coop for a couple of days and then try to let them out again. Mine had issues too at first.
Caroline

 

[Ceilismom]

Quote:
Sometimes, you can't win no matter what you do. I put the coop before the chickens (started framing it last June, ordered chicks for mid-May delivery) and I still have no fenced chicken yard, no siding, and not all of the ventilation on the coop. Winter was long, cold and snowy, and spring has been cold and wet. I've got about 30 5-week old chicks about ready to explode out of the coop, and not much I can do about it.

 

[dldolan]

I also had no where to put 10 new babies 8 weeks ago...2 weeks in the house...3 weeks in the guest house...now 3 weeks in an old shed I covered top to bottom with cardboard, laid down shavings, cut out a window, brought in water and put up hardware cloth for ventilation. What is with this? My husband finally says yesterday, "...and how long before they can move in with the rest of the flock???" Anyday now I'm sure...

 

[comptonsgonecountry]

I used yogurt to get my chicks to come to their cage after a long day of free ranging. I would sprinkle a little chick feed on the top of the yogurt, take it over to where they were and lead them to the cage. A week later, they take themselves to their cage around 7 every night.

Oh, and our coop still has yet to be finished. I couldn't resist all those furry butts at our local Tractor Supply Store 5 weeks ago

Hopefully the coop will be completed this weekend.

 

[csummer8882]

LOL I am chuckling as I read this and SO EXCITED to see that I am not the only one that has put the chickens before the coop! PHEW!

 

[ninabeast]

Ours just went in yesterday, at 5.5 weeks, with supplemental heat, and not a moment too soon. We really had to rush the coop construction, and there was a lot of cursing, believe me. I think my fiance just about snapped a couple times. I'm glad our relationship survived it, although there is still the run now...