Going to bed at night

[jahphotogal]

My chicks are about seven weeks old. I bought them at 2-weeks of age, and they lived in a box in my living room for a few weeks. Then the box moved to the porch at night, and then to the floor of the coop, which wasn't quite complete yet. Now, for about five or six nights, I've put them up in the henhouse part of the coop to sleep. They can get in and out via a gangplank, and I leave it open during the day (Occasionally one will wander in) and lock them in at night.

The coop is a combination run and hen-house - a tractor, I guess - that I made from PVC pipe and corrugated plastic. They stay in the run during the day til someone comes home from work or school, then they range around the yard til bedtime. (It's 40 square feet and there are six of them.)

Anyway, at dusk, I want them to learn to go up into their house by themselves, but they still haven't figure it out - they find some place or other to huddle up, usually on my patio, waiting for me to put them away.

I've read to keep them locked up in the henhouse (I call it the loft) for a couple of days, but that seems a bit extreme - it's technically big enough for six, especially since they're still young/small - about 4x5, or 20 sq ft -- they get bored and want to come out and play.

Should I just keep putting them up at night, and trust that eventually they'll get the hang of it? Or do I need to lock them in?

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[CarlaS]

I have had chickens for many years and we have always just chased them in and closed the coop at night until they learned. It takes a few weeks but they always eventually go in before it gets dark. I say just give them some time to learn.

 

[jahphotogal]

They put themselvest o bed last night! They are 9 weeks old now and were still collecting on my patio table every night, waiting for us to pick them up and put them to bed. But last night we got home later than usual - after 9, and it was quite dark. And they'd gone into the coop by themselves! They are still sleeping huddled up on the floor of it, not on the perches (they perch a lot during the day) but they are growing up!