NEED HELP NOW!!! Sad babies!!

[kfisher123]

We finally secured our coop enough to put our 6 week old silkies in their coop overnight for the first time and when we put them up the ramp into thier nesting area and closed the door they FREAKED!!! My daughters and I felt so bad that we let them back into their run but it's getting dark and I'm sure the raccoons are listening so we need them secured! Do I just let them "cry it out" like I did our "real" babies??? Please advise SOON!!

 

[allieloveschickens]

Yes, let them cry it out- they will adjust to their new home soon- I know it's hard, but a few days in the coop and they will be happy chicks again. In fact it might be best to close them in the coop for a week so that they learn that is where they sleep at night, and go in on their own in the future.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Put a light in there, food, and water and shut the door. They will get over it.

 

[Blue_Myst]

It's no doubt going to be scary for them the first time in their coop. But at this point there is no other option--you're going to have to lock them up in the coop. You can watch them closely for a little while, but as it gets dark they should settle down.

Good luck! Please let us know how they're doing!

 

[louloubean]

yes, i would keep them inside the coop section for awhile, so they get used to it.

my current 'baby' flock took about 2 days, but they know that's home now!!
it might help to make it smaller (put cardboard bumpers in the corner so they can't bunch up)

good luck!

 

[kfisher123]

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! Maybe we tried to put them to bed before they were ready because this time, once we caught them, and put them in they settled down in about 5 minutes! I think their "nightlight" was a huge help as well. They never go up into their nesting area during the day. I guess I'll just keep putting them there until they learn on their own for bedtime.
Again, thank you all so much! I feel MUCH better!!!!

 

[Blue_Myst]

I'm glad it worked out! You're on the right track

 

[Lil'ChickFarm]

I posted an entire story about my babies first night in their coop. It was hillarious and all the crying, My goodness.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=7025942

This link is to my story.

Every bunny is happy now though.

You will read all the things I did to settle down their little hearts.

 

[jenkassai]

Oh my gosh, doesn't it just break your heart to listen to all that crying??

The first night ours were outside, I had to catch them all and put them to bed. Their temporary home is a big dogloo (fitted with a door made out of a wire dog crate divider covered with hardware cloth and inside a secured, covered enclosed pen). I knew they would be safe, but they sounded so scared, I felt terrible! Plus I worried that all the noise would attract critters, even though I knew nothing could get in to them. Hubby said "they will get used to it". Luckily we had already taken down and disposed of the brooder or I would have been tempted to bring them back inside. That first night though, chasing them around that small pen, hubby had to help me catch the bantam (he kept running under the dogloo), and said "I will not be coming out every night to help you chase chickens."

So the next night I went out with a plate of treats, thinking to lure them into their house with that. Well I must have waited long enough, they put themselves to bed!

There was still a lot of chirping and noise going on, but I was so relieved I didn't have to catch them and they knew where their bed was! I just had to sneak in and close the door. What a relief!

 

[haemony]

Such cute stories everyone. The building of the house for our second flock house kept getting delayed
due to the weather so I kept them in the basement in a puppy cage for months. I know. Much too long.
I was letting them out into the garden during the day and shooing them inside at night. They started
lining up at the basement door when it was time to go to bed, sometimes even knocking at (pecking on)
the door.

"Let us in!"

So I had already trained them to put themselves in for the night. Unfortunately, I had trained them to
think the basement was home and to go in there. Oh well. You can imagine how much that complicated
transferring them to the coop. It took me weeks to get them to go into the coop instead of the basement.

They still sometimes line up at the door begging to come in. Sometimes they hang out by the basement
window looking in. I am a silly sap so I imagine that they are nostalgic for their basement home in the
puppy cage and feel bad for them.