How to get 12 week old chicks to roost in the coop?

[Not so Feathered friend]

Hi everyone, I'm pretty new to chicken keeping. We have 9 hens all around 7months old now, one went broody so I bought 2 fertilised eggs which both successfully hatched into a beautiful black rooster and a black hen - I think they are olive eggers? Anyway, Vivien, the brooder left them when they were around 4 weeks old - she hatched them in the rabbit hutch - and went back into the coop with the rest of the girls. All the chickens spend the daytime together but I kept the chicks separate at night until around a month ago when I started transferring them into the coop once it was dark but the next day the chicks still won't go in on their own. On 2 separate occasions I have tried keeping them in the coop for 3 days and still no joy. They are now over 12weeks and have begun to roost in the cherry tree. Are they still a bit too young/intimidated to go in on their own? Im going on holiday in a couple of months so I'd like to get this sorted before then. Any advice will be gratefully received. Thank you, Vanessa

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your chicks have only seen the coop from the inside and probably don't understand going in. You will need to herd them in a few times so they understand it all. Generally a mother hen will teach them this stuff, but since they are weaned you need to teach them. The concept of doorways and what's through them needs to be taught often. To many young chicks doorways are scary. I'm sure there's probably some chasing of them from the older birds when they try to come in too. Next time put mom back in the coop after a few days and she will teach them how to go in.

 

[Not so Feathered friend]

Thank you, I will try hearding them in. The mother didn't want anything to do with them after about a month so not sure how helpful she will be but I will certainly give it a try.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you, I will try hearding them in. The mother didn't want anything to do with them after about a month so not sure how helpful she will be but I will certainly give it a try.

I meant she would have taught them if you had put them back in that coop after the first week or two of their lives. She won't help now.

 

[True Patriot]

Try the suggestions of @oldhenlikesdogs hopefully that will solve the problem. If not you may have to wait until they roost for the night and take them from where they are to the roosting bars in the coop. After a few times relocating them at night they should get the idea of where to sleep. Other factors to consider, is there adequate space for them in the coop? Crowding could be part of the issue. Generally 1 foot of roost bar per chicken is considered standard. With 11 chickens you should have around 11 feet of roost. Like nesting boxes, they will most likely all congregate in one location, but the option should be there for them to move if they choose. Where do they fit in the pecking order? Most likely being new to this flock they are low. See if the other chickens are bullying them out at bedtime. That may require a different approach to fixing. Best of luck.

 

[Not so Feathered friend]

I will definitely be trying it from tomorrow, hopefully it will work before too long. There's 15ft of roost bars so plenty of room but the original girls gather in the doorway so it may seem intimidating going in. As far as the pecking order, the hen chick is at the bottom but I wouldn't say she was being bullied. I do appreciate the tips and will be back with an update in a few days