LOUD at night?

[Brittle Hen]

Ok my chicks are about 6 weeks old and I've been putting them out during the day and bringing them in at night this week because the weather has been really great but its too cool at night. About 8:30pm I went out to check on them and they were extremely loud, I've never heard them that loud before. I thought maybe they are just "hangry" well I gave them food and they ate and that didn't do it so I ended up bringing them back in their garage "apartment". What am I doing wrong? Should I close off the area where they can walk up and roost? I've already blocked off the nesting box area. HELP! PLEASE!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

You aren't doing anything wrong. That's a pretty normal reaction to the first few nights in a new setting for babies at this age. What sort of setup did you have them in? When you mention closing off the area to roost (presumably the coop portion), are you asking if you should lock them in or out of that area?

My most recent group of babies was moved out on Saturday to a grow out setup that is a small coop and attached run - by Tuesday night they had learned to put themselves to bed and do it so quietly now that you don't even know they've done it. Without the benefit of a mother hen to teach them what chickens do at night they are lost - you are that mama hen and you have to teach them how to go to bed at night. Gently move them into their intended sleeping quarters and, if necessary, block the exit at least for the first couple of days. Once they figure out the routine you'll wonder what you were ever so worried about.

 

[Brittle Hen]

Thank you, and yes it is a coop attached to a run, I added a photo below

. I guess I'm asking if I should block them out of the coop area during the day and then in at night like you had mentioned.

 

[Brittle Hen]

Whoops I did not know I couldn't paste a photo so if a duplicate comes up with a picture that's why. Anyway I have a run/coop combo. I guess what I meant was should I block them off from the coop area during the day too and then after I put them in that area at night block them in like you had mentioned.
Thank you, this really helps.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Whoops I did not know I couldn't paste a photo so if a duplicate comes up with a picture that's why. Anyway I have a run/coop combo. I guess what I meant was should I block them off from the coop area during the day too and then after I put them in that area at night block them in like you had mentioned.
Thank you, this really helps.

During the day you want them to be able to move back and forth between the coop and run at will.

 

[junebuggena]

You leave the coop open all day. After you put them into the coop for the night, you shut them in. They should have a source of water inside the coop as well as in the run.

 

[Brittle Hen]

I figured it out! Here it is!

 

[junebuggena]

Is there wire floor in that run? From the picture, it looks like there might be gaps around the bottom that a preditor could get in through. If that's the case, do not ever leave your birds access to the run at night. And shutting them up in the coop portion at night is how they learn that that is where they should sleep.

 

[Brittle Hen]

There is no flooring yet. We weren't sure how to handle those spaces, plants, rocks? So you guys think we can attach chicken wire to the bottom?

 

[Rowsdower]

I'd go with hardware cloth, but yes, a wire bottom would be a cinch in a run that size...and save you a lot of sleepless nights.