Chicks in the run tomorrow, a couple of questions.

[stilldeb]

Oh don't let my chickens hear you say that - they'll be wanting a flat screen, a hot tub.....ha


Deb G
KY

 

[featherz]

Well, my chicks had their first foray out last night and we were curious if they would go back in by themselves. We did not have a light on in the coop at the time and we have a very steep ramp (which they had NO trouble with today, btw). Anyways, I came out just as the sun went down and ALL EIGHT of them were stuffed on the little platform we have in front of the pop door. Not sure why they didn't go the extra inch to be IN the coop, but they all made it up the ramp when it got dark after only one day in the coop. It was neat!

I had to stuff them all in the coop.

 

[gryeyes]

Patience. It takes a few nights for them to "get" that they need to go inside the coop. But they will eventually do so, honestly.

But yah, it IS frustrating to have to tuck 'em in like that for a while.

They're chickens, after all, and have bird brains. Little bitty brains. They're smart about some things, but oh so silly about others!

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

If they don't want to go out or in, you could lure them in/out with clover or their favorite kind of insect. Also, you could try, at the same time each day, you could give them table scraps inside their coop so that they know what time to come at to get yummy food.

 

[Tomhusker]

SUCCESS!!!

A little patience goes a long way with these little guys. I decided I was going to just leave them to their own devices yesterday and see how it goes. The pop door was opened at 06:30 when my wife left for work. I checked every hour for 4 hours and no chicks had come out. I did see one perched on the door trim though. At about noon I went out to work on my truck and as I was wrapping that up I looked over and saw a line of chicks walking down the ramp!

In the evening I turned on the light I had installed for them and shortly before dark I looked and they were all inside the coop ready for bed..... I was so happy to see them acting like chickens! I wish my wife would get as involved and excited.