How to get 6 week chicks go into coup?

[Sams Backyard Flock]

How to get 6 week old chicks into the coup at night? My first set of chicks now 11 weeks old had no problem learning. I’ve tried turning a light on to draw them in, Nope, I can coax them and they get to the door and fly right back down . We waited for them until it got dark and they wouldn’t go in, instead huddled together in a corner. And they still haven’t started roosting yet either. They roost all day long underneath the coup. So I know they know how! I’m at a lost. What else can I do?

 

[Eggscaping]

Try training them to come for treats by having a cup or jar that you can shake with treats in it, and then call "Here, Chicky, chick chick" or some other phrase they will learn means "TREATS!" You can even put gravel in a can to shake and make noise - there just has to be a payoff. Mealworms, scratch, or something else they really like. Then, at night, you go into the coop and shake the treat can and call your 'treat call', and they should come in.

 

[Sams Backyard Flock]

Thank you for the information. I have them trained on the treat call and can get them all the way to the top of the ladder... then they fly down. I saw a YouTube video using a light to draw them in. Didn’t work. I’m going to keep trying but afraid if I keep putting them in the coup they won’t learn on their own. It wouldn’t be the breed could it? 3 Black Jersey Giants and 1 Blue Cochin. The older ones were such quick learners at everything. 3 EE and 3 RIR. Just waiting for the young ones to get big enough to integrate them with the 12 weekend. And they aren’t perching in the coup either. I have 2 at different heights? The others perched all the time. . These perch during the day, but not at night?

 

[3KillerBs]

What's the temperature in the coop like?

 

[BullChick]

You’re overthinking it. One group will be easy, and the next make you tear your hair out. Put them in at night as long as you need to. They won’t want to roost for several more weeks. If they aren’t roosting by 12 weeks, start putting them up on the roost. Also, go ahead and integrate them with the adults. It might solve the issues faster.

 

[Ryguy3684]

They'll learn. Mine are 7 weeks. If they are in the run, and the light is on in the coop, they go in. If I have them out in the yard, and it gets dark, I have to walk them up to the coop. It takes time and patience.

 

[bluemtnwmn]

The thing I've read that most people find effective is to leave them in the coop for a few days and don't let them out! They will get comfortable in there and realize it is home. I put mine out at 5 weeks and struggled for a couple days getting them to go in at night. Then the weather shifted from the previously called for highs in the upper 60s to highs in the low 50s and it rained for 3 days straight. I put their brooder light in their coop and even though the door was open, they mostly stayed inside during the day. I never had any trouble with them going in at night after that.
We just finished building them a bigger coop and are probably going to have to leave them in it for a few days as well. I'm just waiting for some cooler days as I don't want them to overheat in a closed up coop as the highs are now in the upper 80s during the day.

 

[Chicken Heel]

The Good Lord knows that I can always use more patience. Exhibit A would be my most recent brood of nine bantams which I had to put in the coop for over two weeks. I would tell them every evening that I was getting too old to crawl around on my hands and knees but they didn't care. My 2018 brood of bantams were for more understanding and went into the same coop the very first night.

 

[Sams Backyard Flock]

Thank you everyone. Awesome advice and reassurance. Yes I do have more patience That I can muster for these girls. I never thought I would enjoy raising chickens as much as my hubby and I do. We have several active hunting hawks and afraid to let them free range yet. My hubby gets off after working the Emergency room and we sit in our chairs with a beer or glass of wine and let them free range for a couple of hours in the evening with our 2 dogs. A chocolate lab/pit Bella and Dachshund Hatchi both great protectors of chickens. They have a bond. So relaxing. We love watching their personality’s developing. They still fly up on our laps and perch on our chairs looking for a treat or the 2 boys just to show off their perching skills

 

[Sams Backyard Flock]

What's the temperature in the coop like?

We live in Northern California and the summer has been very hot days of 101-104 at night it cools down to 60’s for now. This week we have a break in temp, highs 88 today but 93-96 for the week.