Hello and Help!

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6hensJen

6hensJen

Chirping
Apr 4, 2017
40
24
69
Oregon, USA
Hi everyone at BYC! Firstly let me say thank you, your site has been absolutely invaluable to me as a new chicken mom! I've wanted chickens for years and finally had the opportunity so we built a 6x4 coop with a 10x4 enclosed run in an 18x18 fenced run and I got my six lovely girls (1 BO, 1BR, 1RIR, 1 BLRW, 1 SLW, 1 EE) They're 9 weeks now and have been in the coop and enclosed run for 1 week and are doing really well. Unfortunately during my hours of scouring for all information chicken I somehow confused keeping them in the coop for a week at transition with keeping them in the coop/enclosed run for a week and we are now having bedtime issues
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none of them want to go in the coop to bed down at night and when I get them in they completely freak out and pile in the corner. They do settle down and go to sleep but I don't want bedtime to be terrifying every time and I'm worried someone may get hurt in the pile up! Should I confine them to their coop now for a week or is it too late? Thanks
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They may be afraid to enter a dark coop. If you have a small light on timer you could have it on at dusk, and help them find a place on the roost, then ease yourself out of there and close the door. Maybe have the light stay on a half hour or so for them to settle down. Hopefully that will work.
 
drumstick diva said:
They may be afraid to enter a dark coop. If you have a small light on timer you could have it on at dusk, and help them find a place on the roost, then ease yourself out of there and close the door. Maybe have the light stay on a half hour or so for them to settle down. Hopefully that will work.
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Great advice - I totally agree
 
G’Day from down under 6hensJen
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Welcome!

Great idea from Diva!

With our climate, no way could I keep chickens locked in a coop for a week and when I first got my gals, they were allowed in the run from Day 1 so do not think you did it wrong.

I just used to pop them on the roost each evening at dusk and they soon got the hang of it and put themselves to bed without issue after just a few days.

Good luck!

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.

If you would like to share pictures and stories of your flock, you have come to the right place. BYC’ers never tire of these and do not back away slowly or commence eye rolling when the photo album or home videos come out
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Greetings from Kansas, 6hensJen, and :welcome! Happy you joined our community! Looks like you've gotten some sound advice already so I'll just say best wishe and thanks for joining BYC! Additionally, here's a link where you can find the OR state thread if you'd like to chat with poultry locals: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread
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You've already been given some good advice so I'll just say hello and best wishes!
 
Some success! Managed to get a wall mount night light with dimmer and remote, they went in much easier and were way less panicky, they still did a little piling in the corner once the coop door closed but they settled much faster too
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Thanks again, hopefully with a little time this will work!
 

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