Chicks won't go to bed

[elsiebb]

I have two 14 week and five 7 week old chicks. They are all happily outside in their coop together but none of them are going up the ramp into the hen house at night. Each night I have to go collect them from under the house and put them up inside. Tonight when I moved one of the older ones up the other ran up the ramp after her (yeah! progress!) But the others just huddled in a corner until I lifted them up and put them inside. Is going to bed at night something they need to learn? Are they just not big enough for this yet? How do I get them to go up on their own? (They only sleep in the hen house, as it is small; food and water are underneath, so they don't go up all day either.) The 2 older girls have been in the coop for almost three weeks, the others just joined them a couple of days ago. Thanks for any advice. Can you tell we are new to this??

 

[nbenevento]

After 3 weeks, they still don't go up into the coop by themselves? That is strange. If the temperature in your area allow it, leave them locked in the coop for a few days. They need to know that it is their home and is their safe area. I keep my birds food and water inside the coop so they go in and out all day. It took my younger birds about 5 days of me putting them in the coop every night to put themselves back in. Just a thought though, do they have enough room in there?

 

[cainiac]

I bought 8 week old chicks that would not coop themselves. Locking them in the coop for a couple of days seemed to do the trick. Tonight they cooped themselves after being left out all day. I have had them for about a week.

 

[elsiebb]

I'm happy to report that last night the five youngest were in the henhouse when I when out after dusk. Just had to move the older two in. Tonight, again the five babies all when in on their own, and were guarding the door so the older two couldn't get in if they wanted too. Not that they were making any effort. I picked them up and shoved them past the guards. There isn't any fighting, but there is definitely two separate cliques of chicks in our coop right now.

 

[cainiac]

I find the chicken click odd and wonder why. My two orpingtons hang together and my rhode islands/ white rocks hang together.