Chicks not using the coop at night

[Mrs Stumpgrinder]

I have many barred rock chicks from the ages of 9 weeks to 6 weeks. The chicks are getting along very nicely, but I do have a problem.

Last week we have a very heavy rain and I lost 6 chicks, to prevent this happening again, I go out every night after dark to shoo them in to the A-Frame coop.

see the pic below. It's big enough to hold all the chicks comfortably, but they insist on sitting on the ground OUTSIDE of the coop. How can I get them to go into the coop at night. It's been raining very hard at night, and I don't want to loose any more chicks.

awaiting advise

 

[MissJenny]

Does the A-frame have doors at either end where your chicks can be locked in? If not I would think the best solution would be to fashion doors, hardware cloth closures, some kind of ends to keep them in until you let them out in the morning. I would think this would make their coop doubly predator-proof as well.

Jenny

 

[Brindlebtch]

I agree with MissJenny that they shouls go in lock down for about a week or two. For some reason that imprints the coop as the safe place at night. Do you lock them in every night?

 

[Mrs Stumpgrinder]

No, the ends are open on the the coop, with no way to lock them in .

 

[plowbouy]

You might try putting a small light (15 watt) in the coop.. My chics automatically migrate inside to the lighted coop when it gets dark outside.. Once everyone is inside on the roosts (dusk) I close the door for the night.. (dim light stays on all night)

 

[TexasVet]

You're not alone! I moved my tweens into the big coop and now have to go out every night and pick them up off the ground, haul them into the coop, and put them on a roost or shelf. Chicks can be SOOO stupid! They usually figure it out after about a week of this routine, so it will get better over time.

And if there's a big rain, I'm sloshing around out there in boots and rain gear, with a headband flashlight, making sure everybody's made it to high ground.

I don't know why chickens haven't been wiped off the planet by predators and an overdose of stoopid.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com

 

[glitch]

Quote:
I do........because people think eggs are yummy