My chicks are 7 weeks and 9 weeks old. I put them in the coop we built outside for the first time a few days ago. Every night the 9 week old silkies are fine as they chose a nice spot in one corner of the coop to sleep in. However, my 6 assorted standards, who are the 7 week olds, have decided they want to sleep in the corner near the waterer. Once they all pile up there someone in the pile eventually pushes the waterer to the side and the whole thing empties out into the coop shavings!! They end up wet, sleeping in wet shavings.
This afternoon I put a box in another corner hoping to coax them to sleep over there but no luck. Tonight I went to check on them and lock down the coop for the night and once again the same wet mess. I emptied all the wet shavings out and dried the floor. I took out the now empty waterer and left it outside the coop till morning. Then with flashlight in hand I picked up each one of the six culprits and tried placing them up on the roost. I know they can get up there because they hop up and off during the day. As I placed each one up on the roost they kept jumping down but I was persistent and kept going until they were all there and quickly took the flashlight out so they wouldn't jump down again (I hope) in the dark.
How do I break them of the habit of sleeping on the floor under the waterer?! I tried putting a cement block under the waterer today too, hoping they wouldn't sleep against it but still had the same problem.
I need to teach them to sleep on the roost and maybe remove the waterer each night after dark until they get the idea I guess. I can't afford to keep replacing shavings nightly.
Heellllllpppppp!
This afternoon I put a box in another corner hoping to coax them to sleep over there but no luck. Tonight I went to check on them and lock down the coop for the night and once again the same wet mess. I emptied all the wet shavings out and dried the floor. I took out the now empty waterer and left it outside the coop till morning. Then with flashlight in hand I picked up each one of the six culprits and tried placing them up on the roost. I know they can get up there because they hop up and off during the day. As I placed each one up on the roost they kept jumping down but I was persistent and kept going until they were all there and quickly took the flashlight out so they wouldn't jump down again (I hope) in the dark.
How do I break them of the habit of sleeping on the floor under the waterer?! I tried putting a cement block under the waterer today too, hoping they wouldn't sleep against it but still had the same problem.
I need to teach them to sleep on the roost and maybe remove the waterer each night after dark until they get the idea I guess. I can't afford to keep replacing shavings nightly.
Heellllllpppppp!
