Learning as I go

[thegoodlife1961]

My chicks are now 7 weeks old & are my first flock. There are 26 of them & they were raised from 1 day olds in their coop, which is a 12 x 20 building. The initial brooder was 5 x 5 inside the building. Anyway, we fenced off the entire back yard for them & last night finished the chicken door & ramp that leads from the building to the outside. This afternoon, I let them out for the first time around 4:30pm. All but just a few ventured out & they had a blast. Around 8pm, some were going in on their own ( I kept the light in the building on to encourage them to go in at dusk ), I coaxed all but 4 of the rest of them with dried mealworms. The last 4 were by the ramp, but just would not attempt coming in. I had to go outside & catch them, the last 3 really gave me a chase. Well, I got them in, but now, when I go to turn off the light for the night that they are all piling up something awful. All in a corner of the building, the pile being 3 or 4 chickens high! I tried everything... leaving the light on for awhile & sitting & talking with them, turning the light off, staying out there with them, holding a flashlight, etc, to no avail! I guess I'll just have to leave the light on all night so they don't pile up. Next time I go to get them in, should I refuse to chase them? Will they eventually come in by themselves if its only their 2nd day outside? I don't like the alternative, which would be leaving them outside & leaving their chick door open. Please advise! Thanks!

 

[uglychickens]

Chickens are great learners teach them to come to a sound when they are to go in for the night and they won't need to be caught... Learned that the hard way!
Another idea is to make a sound(any sound) but only use that sound when giving them food. Put food down and they will come running.
The pile up thing, at seven weeks they should still be put in a smaller "brooder" area till their a little older. The bigger space makes them apprehensive.
Hope that helps a little, I'm learning as I go too. First flock 12 little darlings 10 weeks old!

 

[thegoodlife1961]

So, do you think that a few being caught had nothing to do with it then? Hmmm.. I wonder if other nights they were piling up at lights out & I just never knew it. I don't want them to suffocate! How old should they be before they will be ok with the 12 x 20 space?

 

[uglychickens]

When they are all old enough to fly out of the brooder and they do so on their own.
They will always pile up to some extent tho, safety in numbers and all...
Do you have roost for them to get too? Ones low enough that they can get to could help out a lot, picking them up and placeing them on them could give them the idea " hay I like it up here"
The best roost space are dominance issued and at 7 weeks their pecking order isn't fully in swing yet, still scwabels going on, so this mite distract them.
Always push them outside tho herd them if you have to, they need the natural sunlight for them to be healthy.
Is their run covered? Or open?

 

[uglychickens]

Another thing I started doing is catching a couple grasshoppers and throwing them in the coop at night. They have so much fun trying to catch them and it pushes them to explore their coop.
Mine are in an 8x12 shed at night I walk up behind them clap twice and off they go right into the shed... I free range tho so no telling where they mite be on my ten acres...

 

[thegoodlife1961]

Their run isn't covered. Its way too big to put a cover on top. Its around 3/4 acre. We don't have their roosts made yet, thats the next thing on our chicken-to-do-list.

 

[DLV58]

Hi, Just from watching my girls
I think cuddle puddles are a natural thing for them to do.
I also think they are to smart to suffocate at that age.

 

[uglychickens]

Actually it's not... Put "tent" poles up every so often at least 6ft tall string up cloth line in a checker pattern across open area!
That could be another reason they don't wanna go outside... They really don't like being in the open without protection from mommy...
I'd work on getting them to associate you with food, then they will follow you around. They'll go out by themselves here soon you'll see!

 

[thegoodlife1961]

Its so funny! Hubby thinks I have them spoiled terribly, as I seem to do with every critter I get!

Today, they would only come out in the yard if i was out there & sang to them. And, not all actually, but most would come out. They would stay if I stayed, but as soon as I went into the house, they would march back into the coop. At least they put themselves to bed, didn't need to be upset by being caught, & therefore, no piling up went on tonight!

 

[uglychickens]

Great! Your getting it!