Getting baby chicks to enter the coop

[kpickett3]

Ok here's our problem. Five weeks ago my wife and I purchased 12 baby chicks. We kept the chicks indoors under the heat lamp while I built a very nice coop with a connected caged area. After five weeks we moved the chicks outdoors were they seem very happy until dark. Once it gets dark the chicks will not go into the coop. They all just huddle up in one corner of the caged area and chirp until we pick them up and place them in the coop were they stay until morning. We would appreciate advice on how to get our chicks to go into the coop on there own at dark. Thank you.

 

[lightchick]

I had to put my chicks in their coop for a few days after moving them outside and pretty soon they learned to go inside at night. They should learn...

 

[LeoneB]

Ok here's our problem. Five weeks ago my wife and I purchased 12 baby chicks. We kept the chicks indoors under the heat lamp while I built a very nice coop with a connected caged area. After five weeks we moved the chicks outdoors were they seem very happy until dark. Once it gets dark the chicks will not go into the coop. They all just huddle up in one corner of the caged area and chirp until we pick them up and place them in the coop were they stay until morning. We would appreciate advice on how to get our chicks to go into the coop on there own at dark. Thank you.

Just go out to them at dusk, when they should be going to bed. Physically pick them up one at a time, and put them where you want them.. once they are there they won't go anywhere. You might need to do it a couple of nights before they learn, but they will learn where to go to bed eventually.

 

[kpickett3]

Thank you for your advice.

 

[The Hustons]

I've coop trained 6 sets of chicks//chickens since the spring !! What worked for us was to lock them in the coop for t 2-3 days w/ plenty of food & water. Idk what temps are in your area if they are hot & you do not have adequate ventilation I would wait for 2-3 days cooler temps . Best advice ever would be when they go out for first time put them in coop only, don't let them out in the run at all until coop training is over & that's been deemed the safe place

. That's what I was finally smart enough do w/ last set. They have never failed put themselves to bed & they were only 3 weeks old when i got them !! Good luck enjoy your chicks !!!

 

[kpickett3]

Thank you.

 

[kpickett3]

Thanks for the help. This is our first chickens and they sure are fun.

 

[The Hustons]

They are so much fun !!! Keep us posted on the results

!

 

[Rainier]

I've coop trained 6 sets of chicks//chickens since the spring !! What worked for us was to lock them in the coop for t 2-3 days w/ plenty of food & water. Idk what temps are in your area if they are hot & you do not have adequate ventilation I would wait for 2-3 days cooler temps . Best advice ever would be when they go out for first time put them in coop only, don't let them out in the run at all until coop training is over & that's been deemed the safe place

. That's what I was finally smart enough do w/ last set. They have never failed put themselves to bed & they were only 3 weeks old when i got them !! Good luck enjoy your chicks !!!

We did something similar.

We got our first flock on April 4, 2014. When they were about 8 weeks old we put them in the coop. At that time it was still cold so we had the brooder light bulb running at night. Be aware this can be a fire hazard and we will not do that in the future. Our coop is a pallet coop and the door is about 4 feet wide. We opened the big door during the day and temporarily ran hardware cloth over the lower half of the entrance so they could not get out but could see out. We also only fed treats (freeze dried meal worms) in the coop at dusk. By the time we let them roam they were in that coop for their treat by dusk without having to catch them.

Now at 23 weeks they put themselves to bed every night with no bribes.

 

[skunknchatter]

Just throw their little chickie butts in where you want them at night and they'll catch on. Welcome to the wonderful world of poultry. Before long you'll be buying $100 feeders and $300 auto chicken doors