Chickens back into coop at night, and light...

[Panhandler80]

Our 21 chicks turned 5 weeks this past Monday. Sunday afternoon I finished the run and they went out to the coop mid-pm with the door to ramp open. A few ventured out, and found their way back in prior to dark. Monday the chicken door to ramp was open the whole day and it was pretty much same routine. Only difference was more made it out, but they all made it back in. Yesterday, Tuesday, was a different story. I came home and 6 or 7 were out. We ate dinner and I went outside in the dark to see if they all made it back in. The 6 or 7 had NOT made it back in, and the other 15 or so had LEFT the coop. Not only had the rest of the flock left the coop, they were all piled on top of each other in an interior corner (dog leg along the length of the run in order to accommodate a pecan tree for summer shade and winter sun).

Facts:

1. Maybe 72 degrees or so when I found them, and only a few minutes prior it had been even warmer. Just a light breeze. I doubt they were chilly.

2. Most nights in the brooder I had a heat lamp on them all night

3. When I found them the heat lamp in the coop was off. We've recently had lows of 80 and lows of 55, so at five weeks old, they still may appreciate some heat... hence the lamp's presence.

4. The sun sets pretty much along the length of the run, so they can see it going down from the chicken door into coop.

5. They all left the coop between probably half an our to sunset and 15 minutes after sunset. There was enough light for me (a person) to see them and pick them all up, but not by much. I probably had another 5-10 minutes of workable light.

SO.... What's the deal? They were obviously never going to find their way back up that ramp 15 minutes past sunset. I don't think they were piled up for warmth, I think it was just panic. Why would they leave the coop as it was getting dark? There is food and water in it. Do you think they were associating the sun with warmth and their normal sleeping situation due to the first 4 weeks in brooder? So with it dark in coop they followed the sun out, and then panicked when they were somewhere unfamiliar and dark?

Thanks,

PH80

 

[ColoradoPip]

You did not provide much detail on how you moved them. Did you just put them out, coop door open, and let them go? I think that works well with small runs, this is what I did with my first chickens and it worked great. Your run might be a bit big, giving them too much room and too many decisions, and no one to teach them. I'm not sure, maybe you are onto something with the light.

Some people close the birds in the coop for a day or 2.

Since you've already let them go, I would just keep moving them in and eventually they'll get it. Young chicks learn fast. Sounds like they were already on the path, but without someone to teach them they don't know and are relying on instinct only. I bet it only takes a day or three of you putting them in. Maybe go out just before dark and shoo them all in so you aren't carrying them!

My old girls had the same coop for 6 years, I put them in the new coop and run and the first night they were piled in a corner outside. So I put them inside. After that they got it. If an old dog can learn, a new one will be easy!

 

[Panhandler80]

You did not provide much detail on how you moved them. Did you just put them out, coop door open, and let them go? I think that works well with small runs, this is what I did with my first chickens and it worked great. Your run might be a bit big, giving them too much room and too many decisions, and no one to teach them. I'm not sure, maybe you are onto something with the light.

Some people close the birds in the coop for a day or 2.

Since you've already let them go, I would just keep moving them in and eventually they'll get it. Young chicks learn fast. Sounds like they were already on the path, but without someone to teach them they don't know and are relying on instinct only. I bet it only takes a day or three of you putting them in. Maybe go out just before dark and shoo them all in so you aren't carrying them!

My old girls had the same coop for 6 years, I put them in the new coop and run and the first night they were piled in a corner outside. So I put them inside. After that they got it. If an old dog can learn, a new one will be easy!

I moved them from brooder to coop by putting 4-5 in a plastic tote with a towel in the bottom. I didn't move any of them out of the coop to the run. The door from coop to run was just left open. A handful would occasionally leave and would make it back for two days. Then yesterday evening, at last light 15 or so LEFT the coop to join the 6 or so that were already out. I got out there to go check, and they were all stacked on top of each other in that interior corner. At that point it was pretty dark and they were easy to pick up, so I placed them back in the coop through the chicken door. Once all were in, I closed it for the night.

 

[ColoradoPip]

Maybe they just got confused then, lol. I would just keep checking them in the evening and pushing (or carrying) them in and they'll get it. That's my thinking, I'm sure others here have a lot more experience and can chime in!

 

[DanEP]

How dark is your coop? Some times young chicks will try to stay in the light as long as they can if they've just came from a brooder that is always lit up. Their just not used to it getting dark but will soon get used to it. You'll also find that the kids just want to resist going to bed till the last second but a few months from now they already be on the roost at dusk. It just will take a few days for them to get the routine down.

 

[Panhandler80]

How dark is your coop? Some times young chicks will try to stay in the light as long as they can if they've just came from a brooder that is always lit up. Their just not used to it getting dark but will soon get used to it. You'll also find that the kids just want to resist going to bed till the last second but a few months from now they already be on the roost at dusk. It just will take a few days for them to get the routine down.

10-4. I felt like they might have been chasing the sun... Was bizarre that they all joined the other 6 or 7 that were out at last light.

Coop gets pretty dark pretty quickly, but looking out they coop door over ramp they can see sun setting and can even catch some additional warmth from it (as opposed to while in coop) if they get outside.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They do not sleep in a group because they are cold, that is not your problem. They sleep together because they like the company. At those temperatures 5 week old chicks are not cold.

I typically leave my chicks in the grow-out coop for a few days before I open the pop door and give them access to the run. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes before every one is on the ground. Sometimes it takes 3 days before the last one leaves the coop to go to the run. They tend to do things as a group but some are bolder than others. My broods are typically close to 20 chicks.

My grow-out coop is elevated a couple of feet. Even if they are used to sleeping in the coop section, when I let them out they practically always go to sleep in the run under the pop door. I don't have that happen with a coop on ground level. Until they start to roost I think they like to sleep in a group at a pretty low location.

Every night after dark I go out there to lock them up. Any that are sleeping on the ground get tossed in the coop. One time and onetime only I only had to do that one night before they got the message. I've had a couple of groups it took three weeks before the last few went in. Typically it takes about a week for them to all get the message but each group is different.

Just be consistent, they'll get the message.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I think they just got confused, which isn't surprising, they're still pretty young. All it takes is for one or two to "figure out something" (in this case, the wrong thing: staying out late) and they others will follow along.

 

[Panhandler80]

Got down to low 50s last night. So, I turned light on for comfort. Before dark there were about half out. Checked on them at dark and all were in the house. Not sure if they learning, or if they "saw the light", literally.

 

[aart]

Not sure if they learning, or if they "saw the light", literally.

Yep, a small light will lure them in from the dark.
I use a battery operated puck light, turn it on just before dusk,
then turn it off when I lock up after dark.