Chicks afraid to sleep in the coop

[SueT]

They will get it, and the days are getting shorter now, so it will slowly be getting dark earlier each evening. They will eventually go in all by themselves. Ours go in earlier on cloudy nights, last night was clear and they stayed out till almost 9 pm.

 

[chickens563]

I had a similar experience with my chickens. The first night I brought them in the coop, none of them could figure out how to get back up the ramp. They could get down just fine. By the second night, the oldest chicken I have figured out that she had to go up the ramp into the coop. None of the others could figure it out though. By the third night, some of my chicks were experimenting with the ramp, but still would not go up. They would huddle in the corner and try to sleep there.
By the fourth night, the chickens who did know how to go up eventually taught the others to as well

 

[newmarch2014]

It is better to leave free ranging till later when they are bigger anyway....that gives them time to get a little more predator savy. personally mine don't free range unless I or my chicken friendly dog is out as she rounds them up and runs them to the coop if she suspects trouble is flying overhead (or if the deer get to close to her little feathered wards). They need to know where to run for safety.

 

[mizz9]

 

[mizz9]

THE LADIES WENT TO BED BY THEMSELVES TONIGHT!! WOOO!

 

[SueT]

Ha! Congrats!

 

[newmarch2014]

yay! persistance pays off! I will warn you sometimes it takes a step back so just give it a week of success to feel confident it has "stuck". My big girls also started trying to sleep out when our old rooster became a ......nuisance for them.