Getting Chickens into Coop at night

[sanyijr]

I have intoduced my 10 chickens into their final resting home after 2 months of being in a big brooder. I have a nice, clean coop with easy access and clean bedding etc. But at night they do not go into the coop on their own. It has been 2 weeks and one or two will go in when I call them over to the door, but the others burrow down in a clump and chill (it would seem for the night).

So I have been putting them into the coop after dark and they stay in on their own, but even if half are in and half out, its like they don't know where to go and they keep calling to the others in the coop?

Any suggestions?

They did go straight from the brooder to free ranging and never really spent time confined in the coop. Could that be the reason? What to do next?



Sean

 

[Snegurochka]

Yes, that's the reason. You should stop free ranging them for a few days until they learn where to sleep at night.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

a couple of things...
confine in coop for a day or two w/ food and fresh water...
when you call them ALWAYS have a yummy treat in hand... when you call them into the coop at night ALWAYS have their favorite treat on hand (I use shelled corn)...
use 2 brooms (as an extention to your arms) to gently guide any scragglers in...
hope these help.

 

[Donna5]

my problem and I'm not sure it's really a problem. My 5 chicks, 6 weeks old, do not go into their cozy coop at night, they hang out underneath. Their coop is large as is their enclosed run a total of 6 x 10 feet. They have been in there for almost 2 weeks, the first couple of days they stayed in the coop as the run was not finished. Now they don't go in the coop/nest area at night even though it is still in the 40's at night. They do know how to walk up the ramp as I have seen them in play, should I be putting them to bed at night or just let them sleep in the big pile of hay on the floor? We might be worrying too much

Thanks.

 

[bburn]

OMG....I can help.

Get one of those stick up lights that you just press and it will come on! Put it up in the coop. As it gets dark the light will be on in their coop and they will naturally go in.

I had no idea this would work until I tried it. Bought an inexpensive three pack of LED lights that stick up.

Had three cochins in the 'corner coop' that had been sleeping out in the open until I got their little coop finished. I thought they would just go in and sleep.....then it snowed. I was having to go out after they piled up in the corner and pick each one up and put them in their little house. Finally someone told me to put a light in there. Sure enough, the next evening I went out and turned the light on before it got dark and when I went out to check they were in there....same the next night. By the third night they went in there on their own.

It works.

 

[lfreem2]

Quote:
I love this idea! I just ordered a solar light for the coop as I don't have power to it.

Today, I put my 17 babies in the coop for the first time. They are 5 weeks old now, and the coop is an old 10x12 shed that we just converted into a coop. They were in the run all day having a blast, and then as the sun was going down I picked each of them up and put them in through the pop hole so they'd start to get the picture. Well, as soon as I put one in, two others would jump out. Finally, I had to put a piece of wood over the hole as I put each one of them in.

Well, when I got done, I went in through the human door and they were all screaming at the top of their lungs in the coop. PEEP! PEEP! You'd think I had just killed 'em! The sound was deafening. They were deeply unhappy being in their new (and lovely!) digs and I felt so bad for 'em. They've gotten so used to living in their cardboard brooder on my sun porch that they were freaked out. I went back an hour later when it was dark and they were all huddled sleeping in the corner next to the closed pop door.

I hadn't thought of just keeping them shut tight in the coop for a few days with food and water until they settled a bit. Well, I'm starting that tomorrow for sure!

Thanks everyone!

 

[wawasmama]

I agree with the others. My 12 week olds stayed in their chicken enclosure for two weeks until I thought they were ready for the run. Glad I did that as they're very familiar with their hen house and know that is their "safe place" at night. I also feed them in there at night so it's easy to get them cooped up for the night. Good luck to you!

 

[sanyijr]

Thanks everyone. Good ideas. I kept them in longer than usual and moved their food into the coop for the short term. Let them out yesterday and I put 2 of 13 in the coop and the rest followed, except for one lazy one. Couple more days and I think we are good.

 

[bonsaiherb]

"But at night they do not go into the coop on their own."
All I can say is that they are training me well in the flashlight and fish net 'play with me' game.'
I let my girls out for the first time and damn - they did NOT want to come back to the lighted and warmer COOP. Will try again today, while it is raining.
Aside observation: I have TWO different sets of birds - Easter and Olive Eggers which are totally dominant and were the birds that went outside. Americana and Cuckoo Maran stayed inside until the very end.
Even now, they congregate by groups and do not seem to mingle well. Does not bode well for future integration for my three Speckled Sussex or younger Americana chicks still inside the house.
Sadly, the person I bought the EE nd OE did not sell me the EE rooster but gave me an OE - and from my early observation this is not the Rooster I want breeding the others.