Getting your chickens to bed...

[Annette16]

I kept my baby chicks in the brooder box,which was a 2 ft x 4 ft inside my hen house, and house is a 8x10 for 2 to 3 weeks. Then I took them out of box and let them stay in the house till they were 4 weeks old. Then I let them go in the run area leaving their food and water in the house only for a week so they would know that is their place to go back and sleep. Well they want go up at night, they stay out in run area. I have been going out at night now for 2 weeks having to put them in their house. How long is it going to take for them to go up? I have not had chicks since I was a small kid and I don’t remember.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Generally it take a month or two of you putting them to bed. Usuallyy a mom chicken would do it, so you have to be the mom until they suddenly do it themselves. Some will put a night light in the coop and it seems to help. What often happens is the chicks wait too long and than the coop is dark and scary to them so they hesitate to go in.

 

[chckndaddy]

Our chicks normally take a few weeks to get used to coming in at night. Some times a little longer if the older chickens pick on them. We usually put the chicks in every night till they stop staying out. some times it cane be a bit annoying!

 

[Bonescanner]

I’m having this same problem with some year old hens I got from someone. I think he had WAY too many for his coop so they are used to sleeping in their run. I bought a battery powered LED light from Walmart that has a remote. If I turn it on right before sunset they will go to bed in the coop. If not, they will stay out. I’m hoping they get it figured out soon, 6 aa batteries every two weeks is getting old.

 

[Michael Propst]

I’m having this same problem with some year old hens

I would also like to seek some advise on older hens. I have 6 that are 13 months. They slept in the coop all the time last summer, fall and through the winter. Once spring hit this year they started setting up for the night out in the run. First it was just one then three then four now all 6 roost for the night in the run instead of going back into the coop. Is this something to be concerned about? Thanks for any advise on whether I should allow this or put them up into the coop every night.

 

[aart]

Leaving them to sleep in the run is ok...IF....weather and predator protection is sufficient.
Good ventilation and windows for light can help get them back into the coop at dusk.
Adequate space and roost length in the coop plays a part too,
who wants to sleep in a crowded stuffy coop with not enough 'bed' space?
Make sure your roosts/perches in the run are lower than the roosts in the coop too,
they like to roost as high as possible.

'Babies' can need some encouragement at first to go back into coop,
shouldn't take more than a few days to a week or so tho.