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

[Robert Kazlauski]

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

Thanks for your response. It is small, but they never even investigated it in the first place. Plus, they are young bantams.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

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.

What type of treat do you recommend? What do you give? What treats do silkies like best?

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

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.

Thank you for your response. I think that I will try your suggestion and put the feeder in the coop. What should I do with the waterer? Since both the feeder and waterer are big 5 gallon objects and since the coop is small, maybe I should put the waterer in the run. What do you think?

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

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

Thank you for this idea. I would like to try this but do not want to use electricity for obvious reasons. So, what can I do? I dont want to do anything elaborate or expensive. A flashlight? How long will the batteries last? What other simple thing can i use, where can i get it, and how much will it cost? I hope you can respond.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

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.

Thank you, Altairsky.

 

[kattabelly]

Thank you for this idea. I would like to try this but do not want to use electricity for obvious reasons. So, what can I do? I dont want to do anything elaborate or expensive. A flashlight? How long will the batteries last? What other simple thing can i use, where can i get it, and how much will it cost? I hope you can respond.

I usually use either an old head torch with the strap replaced with cable ties (can be tied in place semi-permanantly or used as a hook to hang it up) or a little battery-powered bicycle light like this (usually a white light one but I didn't have that to hand just now).

Sometimes I just use the torch on my phone. I had that and an old backup head torch already and I think the bike lights cost £1.99 for a pack of two.

I just switch the light on when they'll be going to roost soon and then switch it off once they're inside and more or less where they should be. Make sure to position it pointing in, but placed just inside the door or in some other place where you'll easily be able to reach in to switch it off or remove it without disturbing them. It's not much hassle if you're only doing it for a short while until they learn where to go themselves - usually I only need to do it for two or three nights, even with chicks.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

I usually use either an old head torch with the strap replaced with cable ties (can be tied in place semi-permanantly or used as a hook to hang it up) or a little battery-powered bicycle light like this (usually a white light one but I didn't have that to hand just now).
View attachment 4237157

Sometimes I just use the torch on my phone. I had that and an old backup head torch already and I think the bike lights cost £1.99 for a pack of two.

I just switch the light on when they'll be going to roost soon and then switch it off once they're inside and more or less where they should be. Make sure to position it pointing in, but placed just inside the door or in some other place where you'll easily be able to reach in to switch it off or remove it without disturbing them. It's not much hassle if you're only doing it for a short while until they learn where to go themselves - usually I only need to do it for two or three nights, even with chicks.

Thanks for the great idea! I will definitely try it if My other suggestions dont work!

 

[kattabelly]

Thanks for the great idea! I will definitely try it if My other suggestions dont work!

Good luck!

If the coop is only 9 inches off the ground I'm assuming that's only a small part of the outside space they have access to. If so you could also try blocking off that area temporarily, so sleeping underneath the coop isn't an option.

 

[azygous]

I use live meal worms as a training treat for chicks. It's a no-fail.

Beware of dried meal worms, though. They can be hard on chicken digestive systems.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

Good luck!

If the coop is only 9 inches off the ground I'm assuming that's only a small part of the outside space they have access to. If so you could also try blocking off that area temporarily, so sleeping underneath the coop isn't an option.

WOW !!! I never thought of that. That is a definite thing to do!!!