Getting the babies used to their coop -- suggestions?

[malimom]

Success!! Thank you everyone for your comments, particularly Quail Hill. Tonight we resisted going down to the coop to do the nightly "herding" until the sun had totally set and the sky had darkened. We tiptoed to the run and all was quiet. We lowered the coop door and flashed a light into the run...not a chicken to be found. They had all settled into the roost for the night! We, too had been giving them just a little too much attention at "bedtime". A couple more nights like tonight and I think they'll have it down. So much easier!!!

 

[SophieL]

Thanks everyone. Just shoved the last of the girls up into the coop on night two. I'm glad it's not just me. I thought my little girls were particularly derpy or something.

Of course they won't eat the yummy fresh strawberries I gave them, so I still think they might be a little off...

 

[SophieL]

Just an update: I put a light on in the coop and hiked up the ramp a bit and lo and behold, they've gotten the hang of things quite well! Success!

 

[MySuburbanLife]

Tonight is my girls' first night in the coop. I've got the light on inside it and I've shown them the ramp, but they immediately jumped off and got all huffy with me. It's nearing dusk now, so I guess I'll go check to see if they're still hanging out underneath like they have been all day.

Hope my babies are fast learners like yours have been!

 

[MySuburbanLife]

Night one: after dusk I went back to the coop and the girls were all huddled up at the bottom of the ramp making very anxious peepy noises. It was starting to get dark and they were scared and confused. I picked them each up and set them inside the door of the coop and watched them settle down to sleep. Not on their perch (the exact one that has been in their brooder for weeks now), but on the floor of the coop.

Night two: after dusk again, they were all huddled and peeping anxiously. Put them inside the coop again, and all of them settled but one-- Daphne, the larger of my two EEs, immediately turned around and jumped down the ramp. I left, intending to come back and check on her in a half an hour or so. When I returned, she was happily snuggling with her sisters inside the coop! So 1 out of my 7 chickens has figured this out. Will Daphne be able to teach the others how to go up into the coop at night? We'll see.