Chicks carrying on putting them in coop overnight for the first time

[newchicks6]

Hello all I have 4 6week old chicks and 2 5week old chicks. I put them in the coop for first time for the night and they were carrying on so I brought them back in to the brooder inside been reading about lights to put into coop so they can see I was thinking of doing Christmas string clear lights I would love to hear suggestions Ty in advance

 

[Blooie]

They are just fine. They would have settled down out there and night one of the transition would have been over and done with, except like so many of us you kinda sorta let them win and gave then what they wanted. So that means tonight if you don't hold firm, they'll win again, and you'll be going backwards with getting them to live out there. I'm sure you had heat lamp on them in the brooder. If so, all they've ever known is light 24/7. Hard to ask them to drop that in one fell swoop. But it's exactly what they need to do.

They'll carry on and for a day or two they'll hate you. But put 'em out there, pour yourself a calming glass of wine, and harden your heart a little. I suppose you could put some kind of night light out there, but unless they learn that they are chickens, a light will just prolong their fussing. Chickens sleep in the dark. That's what they do. Your job is to put them out there and let them learn how to be chickens. Just after dark, put them up on their roosts. Then leave. They'll settle down. But don't give in to their little temper tantrums. They're fine. They just think they aren't!

I don't use a heat lamp for my chicks, They are brooded outside in a pen within the run, using a heating pad "cave". From the first day they are here, they learn that nighttime is for sleeping. They settle down when the sun goes down and sleep all night, raring to go in the morning. They have had that natural day/night cycle from day one. Chicks who are raised with constant light never learn that, so when it's suddenly taken from them they panic. But they are also creatures of habit, and it only takes a couple of days for habit to establish itself IF it's consistent. Bringing them in when they fuss is giving them a brand new habit - we scream, we come in, we scream, we come in. So make it, you scream, you go to sleep, you scream, you go to sleep. They'll get it.

 

[kristaschics15]

While I had them in the house in the brooder they went from a heat lamp to a night light to no light. When I cut the light out they would fuss for like 5 minutes then dead silence. Once I put them outside on my porch and let the dark come on naturally they never fussed. I agree get tough and let them fuss.

 

[ryanhodapp]

I use Christmas lights --invest in a timer.


Enjoy

 

[newchicks6]

Haha!! Like kids!!! I did the night before turn there lamp off i had light in room on for just alittle so they could adjust from coming inside so I did the same thing last night. Ok I will do that tonight! I was thinking of keeping there food in there throughout the day instead of out in the run! Thank you!!

 

[Blooie]

Yep, just like kids, newchicks6!

I guess I don't understand why we let 5 pounds of feathers and beaks dictate to us what they will or will not do. Either that or I must be a cold hearted chicken mama to expect that my chickens follow their natural instincts. Last year I was terribly "enabling", raising little divas instead of chickens. I stressed, I fussed, I worried, and I gave in - a lot. This year's chicks were so different. They took care of themselves. As a result, I was relaxed and ended up with chicks so calm and confident that they have been fully integrated with the flock since they were 4 and 5 weeks old. I got to enjoy all of the changes - watching them learn to be chickens by watching the big chickens and following their natural instincts which, as it turns out, are pretty doggone interesting. No nightlights, no demanding a bedtime story, and they get treats on MY schedule, not theirs, which makes it extra fun. Because they don't "expect" what they want when they want it, they are alert for surprises and they get so excited. But they don't mob me when I go out, either, so I'm not tripping over chickens with every step.

Put them out and let them cope with the natural, gradual darkness that comes with sunset and they won't need to adjust. The problem comes in when the light is on so they can "adjust" and then it gets turned off, plunging them into sudden darkness. Good luck with them! I have a cute, short little video I'd like to share with you. I'll go get it and then edit this post to add it.

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens. Blooie nailed it! I think she gets inside their tiny little heads and knows just what they are thinking. Chicks know the "power of cute," and will use it against humans every chance they get.

 

[newchicks6]

So cute!what do you have the heating pad on? Is it covered?

 

[kristaschics15]

@Blooie this is my first time raising chicks and you better believe I will be doing so much different next go around lol

 

[Blooie]

So cute!what do you have the heating pad on? Is it covered?

All of the information about brooding chicks this way can be found at this link, including how Mama Heating Pad and the "cave" go together. There are videos, lots of photographs, and a lot of give-and-take with people who have jumped on the positives of raising them like this and made modifications to fit their situations.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

@Blooie this is my first time raising chicks and you better believe I will be doing so much different next go around lol

You won't be sorry, I promise! Well, there are two drawbacks though. You need a slightly larger brooder to accommodate the additional space Mama Heating Pad takes up, and two - well, the chicks grow so well and so fast that one day you look at them and realize you don't have any babies anymore, and you just have to get more and do it all over again!