Getting chicks in the coop at night??

[Shane17]

I posted a similar thread about 2 weeks ago. I have 8 six week old pullets. I got very lucky with a warm spring so they have been out in the coop/run area since 3 weeks old. After the first 5 nights of physically placing them in the coop at night I was told don't worry they will get the hang of it. I have a heat lamp in the coop for them at night. its been in the 40/50's at night here. Now once there in the coop they will roost in there and stay all night. After 19 days straight of putting them in the coop I gave up! The last 2 nights they did not go in the coop. They are roosting together tonight outside. 4 on one roost poll and 4 on another roosting pole they have in the pen area. Last night it was much colder down around 35. Its raining here tonight. The pen area has a covered roof though. Should this be a concern for me? What about when they start laying. Will they go into there coop where the nesting boxes are? I know they can get in the coop. I watch them do it all the time hop in there from the ground or use the ramp. At night though they prefer to be outside.... Any advice or suggestion is appreciated. Thanks

 

[Queen of the chickens]

Does your heat lamp have an infra-red bulb or a regular bulb? My chicks won't go in without a light on. I assume they will get over it eventually, but for now. . . .

 

[Shane17]

250 watt red bulb..same one they have had since in the brooder. It does not get too hot in there for them. There are 2 vents in the coop and the coop is 4x8 and 4 ft high inside. so im sure on a night when its in the 40's it cant get much warmer then 65 in there and thats if there right close to the light.....

maybe they just prefer to be outside??????????

 

[bj taylor]

not sure why your birds prefer outside to roost. just thought i would throw out my method of rounding up the little rascals. i use a broom to help me. that way i have lots more waving @ them than my hands & have more luck moving them where i want them. i use a certain noise. i'm hoping that soon, when they hear that noise, they will automatically go in the coop. wonder if i'll have success.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I have some 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 week old chicks that are now out free-ranging with the rest of my meager flock. Some of them will go in at night, and some won't. They always went in when their heat lamp was with them, but I've recently taken it out. At first only about 5 (out of 17) would go in. I just kept moving them in the coop, over and over and over again. Tonight only about 5 stayed outside. And 3 decided to roost with the big girls tonight! I was so happy to see that. The best advice I can give you is to keep trying. Give your electric bill a rest if they are fully feathers and just keep moving them. They will get it. Another problem I'm still having is my chicks not knowing when roosting time is. They wait until it's dark enough they can barely see and then run around trying to find the coop. I guess they will figure that out too.

 

[Queen of the chickens]

250 watt red bulb..same one they have had since in the brooder. It does not get too hot in there for them. There are 2 vents in the coop and the coop is 4x8 and 4 ft high inside. so im sure on a night when its in the 40's it cant get much warmer then 65 in there and thats if there right close to the light.....

maybe they just prefer to be outside??????????

I may be wrong on this, but I'm not sure chickens perceive infra-red the same way they do other light. When we need to go work in the coop after dark, we use red lights on our head lamps. The chickens barely stir, but if I use a flash light or turn on the coop light, they think it's time to get up and play. You might try a "night light" of sorts for them. Maybe a light with a timer or a string of Christmas lights ( I read that on here somewhere.) Once we get past this little cold snap we are having, their light is going on a timer. Hopefully, once they are "in" for the night, they will stay there.

 

[Shane17]

yeah i may try some more nights of placing them in the coop. I went out this morning and they were all there sleeping outside puffed up like little basketballs! Co worker of mine who has about 35 birds told me most of his all sleep outside. who knows??????

 

[jrsno1fan]

We had the same problem, I read to put a lightbulb in the coop and turn it on at dusk. It only took 2 nights and on the 3rd night when I went out there all of them were in the coop. I did that for about 4 days and on the 5th day took the light out and they've been going in by themselves ever since. Good luck!

 

[Shane17]

We had the same problem, I read to put a lightbulb in the coop and turn it on at dusk. It only took 2 nights and on the 3rd night when I went out there all of them were in the coop. I did that for about 4 days and on the 5th day took the light out and they've been going in by themselves ever since. Good luck!

I have a red heat lamp in there. are saying to try putting just a plain light bulb in there?? Also did u still go place the birds in there the first 2 nights.. Thanks.. I just finished reading a thread on mites being in there and that could be why they dont want to be in there. i doubt this is the case for me tho...thanks again

 

[jrsno1fan]

Yes a plain white bulb and yes I had to pick them up and actually put them in the hen house at first. But like I said on the 3rd night when I went out there they were in the house all lined up on the perch. I left the light on for about 5 nights. I turned off the bulb and they go in there as soon as it gets dark. On a side note the first time we let the come out of the coop and roam around the yard it took us 30 minutes to chase them down and get back in, now I open the door and call them, chick chick chick and they come out. When I'm ready for them to go back in I kinda herd them up and they all go right back in. And by the way they are all only 10 weeks old so still babies but already smart!


I just took this tonight.