**Help Getting Them In The Coop @ Night!!!!!

[ksct]

Our BO's are 5 weeks old (yesterday) and at night we are having a hard time making sure they are in the coop for "bed" at night. They aren't currently staying outside all day. We've had some cool weather and we have a coyote coming out in the day we're a little worried about. We let them out when we get home from work and they're out until dark. When we go out then, they're all huddled together in one corner of their run. It's the same corner everytime. It is very dark out (we live in the country and have no street lights etc) however there is a light on the shed next to their coop that a small portion shines on that one corner they stay in. Inside their coop the heat lamp is on when the nights get cool (it was 46 the other night.... in JULY) so they are able to see to get back in. We just installed a solar light for them last night but now its been raining all day so that won't be working today i'm sure. Every night we have to go pick them up and put them back in the coop so they can sleep. Hopefully this makes sense in the way I described it and hopefully someone might have some advice for us.

 

[anthonyjames]

You may have to physically put them in every night for about a week or more before they catch on.

Mine, I am sorry to say I only had to put in 2 days in a row. After that like clock work by 8pm I could walk outside to the backyard and they walked into the run and into the coop and huddled down for bed.

As for all sleeping together in one spot. Mine still do that outside either when they are a little chilled or very windy.

 

[hatchaholic]

They will get the hang of it. Just keep working with them.

 

[ksct]

We will continue to put them in. Normally they don't love to be picked up (they do tolerate it though lol) but when it's dark and getting a little chilly they are more than willing to let me put them in the coop. I just wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing and that hopefully they would catch on. We just don't want them to think they can't go back in and be freezing outside etc. thanks!

 

[hatchaholic]

Sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing!

 

[gjoyner]

What worked for me was putting a 70 watt lamp in their coop that I plugged in right before it got dark. At first we had to physically put them in once or twice..than they started going towards the light once it started getting darker...they wanted to be closer to it. Now they go in on their own. I weened them off the lamp and they still go in on their own too. i set an alarm for midnight and would quietly go out and unplug the lamp...the next night I woould come out at 11...10..9 etc. now they go in on their own without the light and are just used to it. Maybe turn that shed light off so they want to be by the coop lgiht.

 

[Beekissed]

I feed once a day, in the evening. When I want them to go in the coop before dark, I feed. If I want them to stay in the coop at that time, I just shut the door. Of course, mine are free rangers, so they put themselves to bed whenever they feel like it and I never shut the pop door unless I need to keep them cooped for some reason.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

We just resolved this!

In the past it has been easy... we just lock them in the coop and attached run for about 2 weeks and they get the idea.

This past batch of new chicks were added to a bunch of old hens and it we didn't want to keep them all locked up. At first we kept taking the newbies from their various roosting spots and manually moved them to the coop. After about a week this worked fine for 2/3 but the last one was stubborn.

What ended up working is this: I'd toss scratch into the run about 3 hours before sunset and only let the newbies in and lock it up. I'd come out right before sunset to see them all roosting. I'd then let the old girls in and everyone was set. This took about a week and then they all started going in on their own every night.

 

[lotzahenz]

I kept my last bunch in a pet carrier at night in the garage for a couple of weeks, before allowing them the run of the coop. Keeping it near them, they quickly learned to go inside it to keep warm and safe. Then I just shut the door and carried them inside. They have been in their run and the coop now for almost a week and it took about 3 nights to get them used to going inside, but they continued going to bed in their pet carrier at first. However, they are a little older than yours chicks.
As far as the coop light, that is what works and feeding them inside the coop at night right before bed. However, the best way is to use a timer on the coop light, it cycles on at dusk and off about 3 hours later. Saves on elect. and they (and I) get to sleep better. I think they learn in time, just keep at it. HenZ

looks like Nifty has a good idea if you already have older birds. Mine were alone, with no competition for the food, or examples.

 

[tdkmom]

Maybe try turning off the shed light so the only light for them to be drawn to is the coop light. At least in the beginning until they get the picture.