How To Get My Silkies To Go Inside Coop For The Night?

[Robert Kazlauski]

I have 4 female silkies. They are within 3-5 months of age. Ever since I have had them, they have NEVER slept in their coop at night. Instead, they would always sleep underneath their coop which is elevated nine inches off the ground. Because cold weather is approaching, I want them to always go inside for the night upon dark. Currently I have them in their coop with food and water and the door closed. Their window is always opened. Today will be day 6 or 7. I plan to open the door in the morning in a day or two to let them out for good. I hope that they will be comfortable about going back in at each nightfall. BUT IF THEY DONT, what else can I do? I do not want to physically put them in the coop each night and open the door each morning. Have you had this problem? How did you solve it? How can I?

 

[azygous]

Here's the trick I use with five-week old chicks to teach them to go into the coop at night.

First, I train them with treats to come to me when I use a signal. I use a pet training clicker, but you can use anything that suits you. This training sticks for life, and it's invaluable to round up your chickens very quickly if you have the need. Produce the treat and at the same time, use your signal. Do this for several days, and they will get it pretty quickly.

Then, when you're ready to have them learn to go into the coop, wait until it's nearly dark, get inside the coop, if it's not one of those tiny doll house types, and use your signal. When they come in, reward them with the treat. Then close them inside for the night.

Do this each night, and it usually takes only two or three nights and they will be going in on their own.

If at first they balk, get outside the coop at the entrance and use the signal. Reward them when they come to you. Then toss a treat inside the coop and see if they'll go in. If they don't at first, put each of them inside. Chickens are fast learners.

But since these guys are older and entrenched in a habit, it could take a few days longer to get them out of the habit of sleeping outside.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

Thank you for responding with a good suggestion! Unfortunately it is a small coop and I am unable to do that.

 

[Altairsky]

If you can post a picture of your setup we can be more helpful.
Anyway silkies are not the brightest breed. I guess they fail to figure out the ramp.
Just make the ramp 3x wider and keep the feeder in the coop for a while.
Maybe the food will motivate them to use a couple extra neurons.

 

[kattabelly]

Have you tried putting a light in the coop just before the time they go to sleep?

 

[Luna Mesa]

Being darker inside the coop than outside definitely makes a difference. I always have problem with meat birds wanting to roost outside. Of course I raise them in the summer so it doesn't matter that much.

 

[OneLostHen]

How well can they see? Are they the super poufy silkies with their eyes blocked?
Maybe they need a hair trim.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens do not have an instinct to go inside a coop each night. As chicks they would sleep on the ground with their broody mother. When they get older most like to sleep somewhere up higher, like in trees. If you want them to sleep in your coop you have to train them. Silkies are chickens and have chicken instincts.

I go through something similar every year with my first batch of brooder raised chicks, usually around 20 chicks. I lock them in my elevated brooder for a week at around 5 weeks old, and then let them out to the run. They practically always try to sleep on the ground under the pop door instead of going to sleep inside. So every night after they have settled down to sleep I physically move them into the coop and lock them in there overnight. Sometimes they all catch on really quickly and start putting themselves to bed after a few nights. I've had a few where it took three weeks for all of them to put themselves to bed. What I often see is that after two or three nights a few start going in on their own and within a week all of the others are following them in. So, consistently, every night go out there and put them where you want them to sleep.

The trigger for them to put themselves to bed is that it gets darker. Others have brought up a good point. If the coop is too dark for them to see to put themselves to bed then they are not likely to try. I don't know what your coop looks like, do you have enough of a window for them to be able to see to go to bed?

Those chicks do not know what you want them to do, you have to train them. Good luck.

 

[McChooky]

Thank you for responding with a good suggestion! Unfortunately it is a small coop and I am unable to do that.

Being too small may explain why they won't sleep in it