Chicks not going into the coop at night

[jp57]

I finally got my new girls moved outside over the weekend. I have them in a coop that has a small enclosure under it. When I first took them out, I put them directly in the coop. It took them a couple of hours, but they eventually wandered down into the enclosure. That night, when it was getting dark and my other hens were in their coop(not visible from the chicks coop), the chicks were still in the enclosure. I figured they didn't know what to do, so I picked each one up and placed them into the coop and closed it. The next day, the same thing happened. Last night I decided to wait them out and let it get really dark. I went out and found them huddled together in the enclosure. I had to put them into the coop again. Is there anyway to get them to go into the coops themselves? Here is a picture of the coop. It doesn't have the big enclosure around it anymore. I moved that to my other hens new coop. I just left the coop standing for the new girls. There are 5 of the chicks and they are about 7-8 weeks old.

 

[azygous]

You need to keep showing them how to go in at night until it sinks in. It helps to put a little light in the coop, a small flashlight will do, so they can see there's no danger lurking and see where to go. After they are settled in you can turn off the light.

 

[danceswithronin]

I finally got my new girls moved outside over the weekend. I have them in a coop that has a small enclosure under it. When I first took them out, I put them directly in the coop. It took them a couple of hours, but they eventually wandered down into the enclosure. That night, when it was getting dark and my other hens were in their coop(not visible from the chicks coop), the chicks were still in the enclosure. I figured they didn't know what to do, so I picked each one up and placed them into the coop and closed it. The next day, the same thing happened. Last night I decided to wait them out and let it get really dark. I went out and found them huddled together in the enclosure. I had to put them into the coop again. Is there anyway to get them to go into the coops themselves? Here is a picture of the coop. It doesn't have the big enclosure around it anymore. I moved that to my other hens new coop. I just left the coop standing for the new girls. There are 5 of the chicks and they are about 7-8 weeks old.

Just give them some time to figure it out for themselves if they're secure in the run at night whether they coop up or not.

Last summer my young silkies would not go into the coop for the life of me for like, six months after I got them, and at first I was putting them in the coop by hand every night but after a few weeks of that nonsense I was like FINE SLEEP IN THE RUN THEN because the weather was dry and warm and they were well-protected in the run whether they went up into the coop to sleep or not. Well eventually once the weather turned cooler in the fall, they figured out that the coop was much warmer and drier than the run and they finally figured out to file in every evening.

 

[Trux]

You need to keep showing them how to go in at night until it sinks in. It helps to put a little light in the coop, a small flashlight will do, so they can see there's no danger lurking and see where to go. After they are settled in you can turn off the light.

What he saidIf you can find a cheap l.e.d battery operated light it does help, done it my self

 

[jp57]

Thanks for the advice.