My birds won't go to bed

[stephys_fluffybutts]

I moved my younger birds out this summer. They go into their pen for bed but they don't want to go in the coop. I put them in there every night. The run is set very low to the ground. And the coop is 8x8 feet, the pen/run is 4x8
So it is very large.

I have no Idea why they won't go to bed. I have some older birds that have been living out there their entire lives and they don't have a hard time.

So what and how should I get them to start to go to bed.

The last few night I have been shuting them in the coop at night hopeing they would figure it out. But so far nope.

Its getting cold and winter is right around the corner. At any point I am gone I will not beable to put them in at night. And it worries me. These are silkies and they can't handle harsh weather.

 

[JakRat]

I give mine treats to hop into the coop... they sometimes will go up on their own, but I usually have to toss a few safflower seeds in... they are silly creatures!

 

[rstampa]

Quote:
I just built a new bigger and improved coop and I have the same problem. They won't go in to sleep. I put their favorite treats in side and sprinkled some on the outside to lead them in. They'll look inside at a distance but will not go in. They went in their old coop every evening but will have nothing doing with the new one.
The whole front on the coop opens up for cleaning so I may just open it up tomorrow and leave it open. Maybe if they go in there with it opened they won't be so afraid of it.
I'll let you know if that works.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Don't let them out of the coop for a few days.
My juvies did the same thing, but eventually figured it out.

 

[Fuffy]

I read somewhere that if you put a lit torch in the coop they go to the light.

Tried it when I addad my banties to the rest of the flock, and found it worked pretty well. It took them 3 days to work out where to go at bedtime. So now I just have to wait for them to trundle in and I go shut the door