Chicks wanting to be tucked back into brooder each night

[Newbie102]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this chicken "thang" and am having a dilemma I wasn't expecting. I have been taking my 7 and 8 week chicks out to their coop for the day so they can get excercise and get used to their coop and then bringing them in at night until we could finish predator proofing the new hoop coop. I want to leave them in now, but when it starts getting dark they are all gathered at the front of the coop staring at the house peeping loudly. I have close neighbors and am trying not to annoy anybody. I bring them in and stuff them back in their brooder which is pretty crowded now due to their size and then they settle down and go to sleep. I then haul them back out in the morning. Do you think this is due to the hoop coop being more open and they don't feel safe? Do I just need to practice some tough love and make them stay out there? Is this normal? They don't want to roost either even though we had a small roost in their brooder they were all fighting over. I thought they would want to stay in their roomy new digs! Help!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds like you've trained them to expect you to come and take them away in the evening, so they gather up and wait expectantly for that to happen.

I'd practice some tough love and leave them inside the coop. They should quiet down once it gets dark, and then you can move them onto the roost if you want to press the roosting issue.

 

[LaFleche]

You can install a little dog house with a low roosting bar inside your hoop coop for them to sleep in.
Sometimes this will help to make them feel safer until they get used to stay outside all the time.

And welcome to the BYC community!

 

[Newbie102]

Ok, thank you. I thought about taking their brooder box out there and putting them in it for the night to see if that helps.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Welcome to BYC!

I would maybe put their brooder in the coop for them to feel safer?
I agree with @rosemarythyme, when they cheep and then you come and get them, it's making them think that they can get their way when they scream like that- I would honestly just make them suck it up and see how they fare.

 

[thistlewick]

It helps to remember that chickens are dinosaurs - have millions of years of evolution behind them, are wicked wicked tough and can live in the wild if we let them.

They will be alright with a little tough love

They should learn to roost when they are big enough to - it's an instinct and they typically all will want to get as high as possible.

 

[Newbie102]

Ok, sounds good. Thank you!