I spent all last night searching the topics concerning "how to get your chicks to go into the coop on their own." It seems that most people have had this same problem with their chicks and there were a lot of suggestions on how to accomplish what would seem to be a simple task. My six little reds are only four weeks old but they have really matured very quickly. Since we are in Central Florida and the weather is now very hot during the day and still mild at night, we decided that it would be best to put them in their new run and coop. The run and coop is 8ft x 16 ft and is totally enclosed and for anything other then bears it is preditor proof. I do have a light on a timer that goes on about 1AM just in case they need some warmth. They have been in their new home for about four days and they seem to absolutely love it. At dusk I put a small light in the coop in the hopes that they would go in on their own, but that has not happened. They are quite able to go up and down the ramp as they do it once in a while during the day. Once it begins to get dark they will line up by the end of the coop waiting for us and just cry very loudly until we come and put them in. They are quite happy to go in and stand and wait to be picked up and put inside. Once they are inside all crying stops and, at first, they huddle together and sleep but in the morning they are all on the roosts. After I open the pop door they come out on their own. My guess is that they are just too young to comprehend that they can and should go up the ramp and go inside. I am not willing to lock them inside for a few days and I am just hoping that one of these days they will catch on and go in on their own. This is our first time raising chicks and it has already been quite an experience. This site has been absolutely great in being able to have an answer for every situation that has come up. Even the coop and run is almost an exact copy of the Crouches coop which is shown on this site. Love reading the forum. Don
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