Ok so I have a bunch of various breeds of chicks 8 weeks and old outside in a small chicken house I made for them. Lots of room inside and weather tight. It has a small run on the outside of it. The past two nights I have found 4 chicks dead in the mud outside in the run, apparently drowned during the rains storms the past few days. I went out last night and grabbed two of them and put them back in the house. I am confused as to why they won't go in instinctively when the rain comes. HELP I can't keep going out every night and "tucking them in" I have three kids that expect that from me inside Thanks, Chris
Tuck them in .. or find them drowned .. The noise is probably frightening them and they run outside.. Really, they need to be locked up at night ..
They're chickens... look at the size of the brain... not always the brightest light on the tree. That being said, WE have to be smarter than they are and know enough to LOCK them in the coop when it's nasty.
Not sure how long you've had them in this living set-up. I would say it's probably the noise from the rain and once outside it might be too nasty or too dark for them to make it back inside. It probably won't take too long for them to get used to it. Until then unfortunatly you need to tuck them in just like your kids. Sorry for your loses. Hopefully there will be no more.
Chickens have good memorys but small thinking tracks you must be routine with them if you do something over and over they will memorize it but if you expect them to be able to make a rational thought about it, its not going to happen. Take this as a learning experience and remember to always and I mean always keep your birds locked up in storms and rain and at night unless you free range them. A chick in a run doesn't have alot of options of where to go they kind of exaust themselves and just give up trying. You use to have 3 children that needed you, now you have 7 children that need you. Forgive me for saying and I will try to be polite as I can be. You should only get chicks/chickens if you have the adequate time to raise them and full fill the responsibilitys. You can train your bird to go up when you want them to go up. For example my birds go in as the sun is setting on there own but thats because I train them. Its not always easy but to make it fun you can make it a family project with your kids. taking turns Giving them treats and Putting them up. If your babys inside need you well bring em outside.
Chickens will INSTINCTIVELY go to roost when the sun goes down. WHERE they go to roost is another matter. If they have a coop with a nice roost in it, and no place else to roost (like make sure they can't get to trees, etc.), they will go in there. When they are very young, they can't figure out ramps and stuff, nor remember that there is a roost in that little building there. You have to take them and put them where you want them to sleep (on the roost). I find that I takes young chicks about 4 or 5 times of being brought in each night and put on the roost to learn that is where they sleep. Then, say good night and close the coop door. You will feel so good the first time you go out at dusk and they are all in the coop sitting on the roost and looking so proud of themselves! Good luck with them.
