first night in new coop???

[jdeoliveira74]

So how long does it usually take for them to learn to go inside the coop at night. Last night was there first night in there new coop. I had gone out to dinner and when I came home they were all huddled up together by the door to the out side run asleep. So like a good dad I had to pick them up and put them in the coop! So should I expect this for a few days?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You never mentioned their age. I think there is some difference depending on whether they have started roosting or not. I have had brooder raised chicks start roosting as early as 5 weeks, but usually it's more like 12 weeks. Each brood is different.

I usually house them in the grow-out coop with no access to the run for about a week after I take them from the brooder. Usually most or all of them go into the coop after I start letting them in the run after that week, but it's not that unusual for a few of them to bed down outside the coop. I do what you are doing, put them in after they bed down. Some catch on after one time of putting them in but some can take still another week or even more.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

They are about 7 weeks old I made sure they still have the heat lamp in the coop at night till they get a bit bigger its still getting cool at night. Once I put them in last night they found the big roost bars. they were roosting on a little roost bar in there brooder box
Jon

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know where you are or what you consider cool. Last fall, I had mine in the grow-out coop with no heat but with good draft protection. When they were 5-1/2 weeks old, the outside temperature got down to the mid-20's. They did fine. At 7 weeks, I seriously question if yours need the heat. As long as you can keep from starting a fire and give them room to get away to a cooler spot it's OK, but are you sure they don't want to sleep outside to avoid the heat?

 

[jdeoliveira74]

I took out the heat lamp this morning we will see what happens tonight!!
thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

Any updates?

 

[jdeoliveira74]

I had to put them up two nights since they went into the new coop. Last night they were peeping away like hey its dark. So I turned on the light in the coop and walked away and watched for a bit. They went inside

hopefully its a trend. They seem pretty smart. I hooked up the automatic waterer on sunday and they figured that out pretty quick!

thanks
Jon

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sometimes the coop is too dark for them to be able to see to go to bed. That light obviously helps. Maybe if you put in a window?

The good thing is that it sounds like they accept it as home.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

There are three windows in the coop it just gets pretty dark in my yard... alot of tree cover

 

[jdeoliveira74]

kinda bothering them in the middle of the night to get this one backs all turned

but they went in all by there self Yay