Month and a half old chicks.

[Spokanehens12]

Hello,
I need a little advice. I have one Black Australorp and two Buff Orpingtons and I'm having trouble trying to get them from the run and into the coop at night. I've just introduced them to the outdoors last Saturday the 7th of April. In the morning they can get down the ramp but at night they only sit in a little pile all together in one corner of the run. I've had to "put them to bed". They usually stay in once in and I find them on their roost the next morning. I've read other posts by people saying this is the right thing to do.(by training them) I'm tempted to just leave them be and see if they figure it out. It's not too cold in Spokane anymore. Usually we are in the low 40's at night but I keep a heat lamp in their coop and keep it around 80 degrees. Is the heat lamp needed still for 1&1/2 old chicks with the temp at night being what it is? Furthermore would the lamp detour them from entering the coop at night?
Thanks guys!

 

[Den in Penn]

Its your choice to leave them learn on their own or to train them yourself. A heat lamp isn't necessary. You can put a regular bulb on the coop till they learn to go in, it will give them incentive to go in as well as a little heat. you can wean them off the light with a timer after they are eight weeks.

 

[Nsampsel]

My chicks learned with a bit of encouragement. At first, we had to put them in the coop at night (weather here was in 70's when I put them out, but has dropped to frost level over night a couple times) but now they are all usually in by about the time it begins to get dark...except for my 2 Mallards who have trouble getting up the ramp. We are building a new coop & ground box for them in the next week or so. So other than my newer ones who were just put out & the ducks...everyone seems to put themselves to bed most of the time anymore. Since I close my coop door at night right now due to the cold temps overnight I couldn't leave them out to learn on their own, but they learned in less than a week when to go in so we didn't have to chase them in.

As for the light...mine were off the light before I put them out at abound 4-5 weeks. I was tld as long as They are mostly feathered in & there are several to share body heat that they can go without the light. Mine have done fine without it.