Chicks need help to the coop

[gaa2970]

I have 9 week old chicks (RIR) and I moved them gradually from the brooder, to the porch and now the coop which has an 8 x 8 enclosure and then they will be free range.
My problem is this is their 4th night in the coop and they come out in the morning but they don't go back in by themselves. Is this normal?
Every evening, they huddle in the corner of the pen and then I pick them up and put them in the cop where they sleep in the corner of the coop instead if roosting.
The good thing is that I get to handle the chicks so they are getting very used to me but will they ever start going in by themselves or do i need to do something different?

 

[LRH97]

This is quite normal, especially for young ones you've just moved. Just keep putting them in the coop, and maybe try setting them on the roosts. Chickens have a natural instinct to roost off the ground, but a little encouragement won't hurt. Is their feeder inside the coop? That's another good way to reinforce that the coop is "home". I had quite the time getting my last batch of Wyandottes to roost with the older girls (they've seen so many new additions over the years, I think they just don't really care about newbies anymore!). I'd find them in a clump all huddled together in a corner of the barn one night or maybe under a bush the next. It took a good two weeks with these, but they've got it now and roost with everyone else like they're supposed to. So, don't give up and keep at it. Best of luck!

 

[gaa2970]

Thank you very much for your informative reply. It's good to know I'm doing the right thing. Lol I would also like to integrate my six week old Cochins with them. How would I do that and when would be the best time?

 

[LRH97]

Thank you very much for your informative reply. It's good to know I'm doing the right thing. Lol I would also like to integrate my six week old Cochins with them. How would I do that and when would be the best time?

I would do it soon. It will be quite a bit easier with them being so young and not that far apart in age. This is my integration procedure: After quarantine, (I usually buy adult or started birds from other people. If you do this in the future, you'll want to quarantine as well to prevent the spread of any diseases the new birds may have to your flock.) I let all the birds free range together for about a week, depending on how things go. When they're not on free range, the new birds are in a pen alongside the fence to my coop so they are within constant sight of each other. After ranging together and I think all is ready, I slip the new birds into the coop at night. And I mean at night. I usually go out between ten and eleven o'clock at night. The oldies wake up to find the newbies with them and there is some pecking, but usually not too serious. In your situation, nine week old chicks have a pecking order, but they can't really do too much harm. I'd let all of them out together, and after a few days, you'll probably be ready to completely integrate. Good luck, and I'd love to know how it goes. Don't hesitate to ask anymore questions you may have!

 

[can you hear me now?]

I'd put them together asap too. Once they get big they can do serious harm.

 

[gaa2970]

 

[gaa2970]

The cochins found the shade and the water bucket right away. The reds are kinda segregating themselves.
I'm sitting in the shade enjoying my tea and watching them interact. Lol

 

[gaa2970]

 

[LRH97]

The cochins found the shade and the water bucket right away. The reds are kinda segregating themselves.
I'm sitting in the shade enjoying my tea and watching them interact. Lol

Good plan! Sit back and watch. Before you know it, they'll be pecking around the yard together!

 

[gaa2970]

I wish it was that easy. All day they gave each other space but towards the evening the reds started picking on the cochins and wouldn't even let them get to the water bucket. So I put all the cochins in the coop with food and water and about 1 hour later they were all back out and cowering in a corner.
I ended up waiting till it got dark and put the cochins back in the coop! Then I waited like three hours and put the reds in the coop. We'll see how it goes in the morning. Lol
There is one very sweet cochin the follows me and gets out of the pen when it hears me!