- Apr 22, 2010
- 154
- 2
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I originally had a flock of 6. When they were old enough to go outside I kept them confined to their coop for a few days so they would know it is home. I never had a minutes trouble with them coming out in the day and going back in at dust. When they were 7 weeks old, I purchased 3 more chicks which were 6 weeks old. The first night I went out to check on them and my original 6 were inside like normal and the new 3 were wandering around confused. I put them inside. After this the new 3 chicks would just hunker down in a spot outside at dusk and I would come and plop them in the coop. After about 3 or 4 days of that, they made the connections and went in on their own. Now everyone was going in the coop at night like they should.
Then about a week ago, somehow the door to the coop got shut and none of the chickens could get inside. It was after dark when I discovered this and I had 6 chickens on top of the coop on the roof going to sleep and 3 doing the same on the ground. I opened the coop and put them all in. The next night, the same thing happened. I am now really observant about that door and making sure it stays open. But apparently 2 nights in a row of that happening has messed with their memory of what they are supposed to do. Now, every night I have either 5 or 6 chickens going to sleep on the roof of the coop and I have to pick them up and put them in. This has been going on for about a week.
What can I do to help them realize what they are supposed to be doing? I think at this point they think me coming out and picking them up and putting them to bed is the normal thing. Ack!
Then about a week ago, somehow the door to the coop got shut and none of the chickens could get inside. It was after dark when I discovered this and I had 6 chickens on top of the coop on the roof going to sleep and 3 doing the same on the ground. I opened the coop and put them all in. The next night, the same thing happened. I am now really observant about that door and making sure it stays open. But apparently 2 nights in a row of that happening has messed with their memory of what they are supposed to do. Now, every night I have either 5 or 6 chickens going to sleep on the roof of the coop and I have to pick them up and put them in. This has been going on for about a week.
What can I do to help them realize what they are supposed to be doing? I think at this point they think me coming out and picking them up and putting them to bed is the normal thing. Ack!