Chickens won't go in coop at night!!!

[TalkALittle]

I have 3 silkie chicks and I think silkies may just be too dim to figure this out. They are not keen on roosting at all! I call them chicks but not they are 11 weeks old and I have been 'lifting' them in each night for a month now.

Are they your only chickens or are they housed with other breeds/ages? If so, it may be a pecking order related problem. The pecking order comes into play heavily during roosting time. Silkies are often low on the pecking order because of their personalities and their odd appearance. Additionally, young birds are usually low in the pecking order. If the coop is small and roosting space is tight, competition for prime spots can be stiff and a lot of pecking and pushing around can take place. Is it possible that your silkies are staying out of the coop to avoid that? Offering alternative roost spots and at different heights might help. Then the lower-ranked birds will have a roosting options that don't put them near the other birds.

 

[backboneacres]

OK - I have tried the food. and tried the light in the coop (both with a heat-lamp and with a standard white torch/flashlight). I have 3 silkie chicks and I think silkies may just be too dim to figure this out. They are not keen on roosting at all! I call them chicks but not they are 11 weeks old and I have been 'lifting' them in each night for a month now.
Any other ideas? I think maybe I will lock them in for a couple of days and see if that works - seems cruel but kind...

I changed out their light a fee days ago and am still having to run after at least half of them each night... I have them locked in today because it's only 10 degrees and snowing lots here so maybe a couple days inside will work for us too! Let me know if you find a solution for yours! At least we're not alone!

 

[tpass]

i found your post last night when I was frustrated with my new little flock. they wouldn't go in the coop from their new run. they love the new run!!
So today i let them out in the run and fed them only scraps. They had plenty of water and I checked on them a lot.
at dusk I turned on the light in the coop and put feed on the ramp at the door.
success! I went out at 8 30 pm and they were in the coop. I put the door on and let them eat for a while. turned off the light a little while ago.. they are all cuddled up. weww..
I was beginning to think they were going to be a lot of work all the time.
thank you everyone for the suggestions.

 

[Chrisfraust]

The red heat light attracts mine inside every night

 

[gunnyhighway78]

Greetings
I had the same issue. I had built a beautiful coop with all the extras. 18'×20'so I know it wasn't a space issue. Have of the girls went in the other stayed out in the chicken yard witch is all fenced in. I tried everything suggested on the site. I left the lights on, I got them all inside and kept them in for a couple days. Winter came with freezing rain. After a couple days they got the ideal. Now all 50 of the girls and one happy rooster stay in the coop at night. Good luck and keep trying. I have learned, "don't sweat it." They are smarter than us

 

[Pennae]

well you can leave them in the chicken house for 1 week to 3 weeks that helped me allot

 

[mosleym]

I love this site!! We moved our newly feathered babies out to their brand new coop today for the first time. They stayed huddled in the coop most of the day and then finally came out in the evenings loved being out. Then, dusk, and huddled up chickens. Sat and talked to them, and they went up the ramp, and then stopped and piled up. If I wasn't wanting them in the coop the stacking up would have been funny! Finally, I pulled up the site, typed in "chickens won't go in the coop", and read some suggestions out loud to my daughter. She took out her cell phone, turned on the flashlight, and placed it in the coop. The girls all walked daintily inside, we retrieved the phone, and tucked everyone in for the night! Thanks everybody!!!!

 

[Zores Mother]

Hello, we bought 8 chickens at the beginning of April. Four of them were 28 weeks and four were 24 weeks. They are not going into the coop at night. They will go in and out to lay eggs and drink water. A neighbor told us to put them in the coop and shut the door to the run. I had to catch them and put them in one at a time. It looked like a "I Love Lucy" episode as they were all running around and I slipped and fell in chicken poop. All I could do was laugh. I will let you know how it goes. They have been in the coop since Wednesday afternoon around 3:00 pm. We live in Texas and are excepting severe thunderstorms tonight and over the weekend. Depending on the weather, I might let them out tomorrow. A girlfriend was over last evening and she grew up on a farm raising chickens. She told me they had to put theirs in the coop every night, along with saying a prayer.

 

[Pennae]

put them in the coop/house for 1-3 weeks and then they should return each night

 

[Zores Mother]

Thank you for the information.