How do you get your chicks to go to bed?

[stilldeb]

My chicks stayed in the coop - we have a chicken tractor - all night for the first time last night (the weather is very warm and not much fluctuation right now between day and night - no storms - seemed like the perfect time) and did fine, but just as it was "roosting time" - THE LIGHTNING BUGS CAME OUT! They had never seen lightning bugs before and we have a bunch and they LOVED them. They went crazy chasing and peeping at them and no way did they want to go to bed, couldn't even entice them with their favorite dried worms. We ended up putting them in the coop one at a time with the door shut (and actually put a couple of bugs in there with them - they could have gotten out through the vent holes - no guarantees!). But this is going to be an all summer thing. Are they going to do this all the time!? Do they eventually get the idea or are they like little kids who want to stay up "a few minutes longer"?? (yes of course this is my first chicken experience - six different assorted bantams, and what an assortment they are! - love 'em all!)

deb g

 

[chickintexas]

How funny!!! I wish we had the amount of lightening bugs that you seem to have. I'm not sure about getting them to bed when so much enticement is flying around and glowing for them. We have plenty of other bugs out here for them but my girls seem to know when it's bedtime and start heading to the coop right when it's getting dark. Maybe it is an age thing?

 

[stilldeb]

Well today I actually discovered by accident that they don't like the ringtones on my phone. So if I have to get them inside in a hurry, I play a ringtone and in they go!

deb g

 

[pgpoultry]

I just throw in a handful of poultry corn if they haven't gone in, and they crowd up the door to go in,
Sandie

 

[Yay Chicks!]

It took 10 nights of my putting them in the coop one by one, but now they go in on their own. Tiny little bird brains. We don't have lightening bugs where I live. If we did, I might not want to go to bed either

 

[stilldeb]

Eggzactly! ha - actually reminded me of when my kids were little - they would take their bath, put on their long white nightgowns and then run back outside to catch lightning bugs! Now both my girls are married and it's the chickens!



deb g
KY