Chicks unwilling to go into coop at night

[Chicken Heel]

Patience is the key and this comes from an older man who has had to do what the OP describes about a 100 times over the past half century. Although the last couple of times I did say out loud, "I'm getting too old for this crap".

 

[carrie2017]

Mine are about 5 weeks now and we just recently moved them outside as the weather got super nice here. The first few days they wanted nothing with going back in the coop but after seeing me stick a few mealworms in their cage in the evening they are now just starting to go in without anything when they see me head out to close up the chicken coop. Sometimes one is a little stubborn still so I need to kind of direct it towards the coop but I just chop that up to being in a mood

 

[ninafe]

I have also been chasing chicks around the coop trying to get them in at night, I have too many predators to even slightly consider just letting them be. I tried gently luring them in with treats, only to deal with the wild ones after the tame ones took the bait. Then I found a small piece of tin that helps tremendously, I just waggle the tin from where I do not want them to go & then cut around and waggle it from the opposite side to keep them from just circling the coop. Works better, but will they ever just go in? Yesterday was the only day they all went in peacefully, probably because it was raining all day. I can’t make it rain at bedtime every night, I am not that proficient at my Rain Dance, yet.

Mine are 9 weeks now and have been going in on their own! I There is hope!!! Don't give up !! I did the whole pick one up and stuff her into the coop only to have her come right back out while I'm trying to catch the second one and I did it every night for 2 weeks. One night I just thought- fine guys, if you want to sleep outside and be exposed to all the elements who am I to judge?? I don't want to be a part of this- you guys go figure this sht out. My husband fully supported my decision because he thought I was being a helicopter parent trying too hard.

Then 20 mins later.... they all went in on their own.... Like last post said, it would need to be kinda dark for the chicks to want to go inside.

 

[ninafe]

What time are you trying to put them to bed?

I find that I have tremendous difficulty convincing chickens to go into the coop when it isn't dark yet but if I want to close up until dusk has closed in they quickly learn to go inside.

Second this- when i initially tried to shuffle them back into the coop it was JUST starting to get dark. I did it for my selfish reason because I wanted to start relaxing for the night and didnt want to deal with chicken later. Then I tried a couple of times to shuffle them in around 8 when it was barely any light outside and it was waaaay easier.

 

[Happy Helper]

I have roosting bars inside the coop and also in the run. Some chickens prefer to sleep outside and some sleep inside even in the winter. There are 19-year chickens a year old and 42 five-week-old chicks. They have been integrated successfully but still have an area inside with their food and water with a barrier to keep the older chickens out. I find the littles running around and scratching while the older chickens are roosting above them. They have gone to bed but not the chicks, they are too busy.
I am not concerned but I am curious to see where the little ones are sleeping. Do they go back to their area or are they starting to sleep in the main area. They do have a roost in their area but not big enough for 42 chicks. I plan to check it out soon when I have enough energy to go see them at 8:30 or abouts in the evening when it gets dark.

 

[EvolveInNature]

What time are you trying to put them to bed?

I find that I have tremendous difficulty convincing chickens to go into the coop when it isn't dark yet but if I want to close up until dusk has closed in they quickly learn to go inside.

I do put to bed a tad early, due to predators. The old timers here said I wouldn’t be able to keep chickens out where I live, so I have to be extremely vigilant at predator control, so going to bed just before everything starts to move around dusk is one aspect of where I live. The coop & run are 125’ from the house, so I can’t hear any distress, especially with air conditioning running in the house.

 

[3KillerBs]

I do put to bed a tad early, due to predators. The old timers here said I wouldn’t be able to keep chickens out where I live, so I have to be extremely vigilant at predator control, so going to bed just before everything starts to move around dusk is one aspect of where I live. The coop & run are 125’ from the house, so I can’t hear any distress, especially with air conditioning running in the house.

How secure is your run?

I have no advice on training chickens to go to roost before their natural instincts tell them they should.

 

[EvolveInNature]

Mine are 9 weeks now and have been going in on their own! I There is hope!!! Don't give up !! I did the whole pick one up and stuff her into the coop only to have her come right back out while I'm trying to catch the second one and I did it every night for 2 weeks. One night I just thought- fine guys, if you want to sleep outside and be exposed to all the elements who am I to judge?? I don't want to be a part of this- you guys go figure this sht out. My husband fully supported my decision because he thought I was being a helicopter parent trying too hard.

Then 20 mins later.... they all went in on their own.... Like last post said, it would need to be kinda dark for the chicks to want to go inside.

Mine are 6 weeks, & I guess that I will have to deal for a bit due to predator patrol, I have too much trepidation to wait until dusk with the amount of predators around. I live by a very large creek, in Colorado it would be a river, lol. So I have personally seen coyotes, raccoons, eagles, hawks, bobcats & god forbid we all know the snakes are soon to be added to the list. So far I still have every single chick I started with, so grateful. Thank you, hopefully the chicks will learn it has to be this way.

 

[EvolveInNature]

How secure is your run?

I have no advice on training chickens to go to roost before their natural instincts tell them they should.

My run and coop are pretty darn secure, whoever built it put a lot of thought into it, buried the wire, coop covered in water tank galvanized material. Completely covered with wire and honeysuckle vines for shade and protection. But, when I fixed it up from sitting for decades, I found where a coon or coyote had dug under the buried wire at the east end of the run where the ground is very soft. The pics are before I renovated, but where the water puddle is on the other side of fence is where predator hole was dug. It is very pretty now with all the honeysuckle in bloom.