Night light in coop for chicks ? They wont go to bed

[collmichelle]

Hi... we have 7 chicks all 4-8 weeks and at night none of them will go in the coop. For 3 weeks now I have been picking them up by hand and putting them through the door (not their entrance in the run...my cleaning door) I thought maybe they didn't want to go because it is pitch black in there or because they are now so used to me doing it they huddle by the run gate. If I don't do it..they sleep outside.
Will a small solar light help them feel comfortable...they don't even go in during the day...it must be scary and dark. Should I shoo them to go in through their own door instead of picking them up and putting them in?
We don't have any older Chickens to teach them and you would think after 3 weeks of this they would get the idea to sleep in there.

Also they huddle and not sleep on the roost...I guess that is for older chickens though. Advice is much appreciated. We are still new to the chicken world..but loving it. Thanks!!!!!!

 

[number1newbie]

I had the same problem! What I did was shoo them in and it seemed to work! But if that doesn't work you could could just stick them in through there door it would help if I had a picture of your coop then it would be easier for me to tell. This is my coop and as you can see I have rope lights around the run and a heat lamp with a regular light bulb pointing away from the coop into the run cuz it helps keep predators away.

Now as for them being comfortable in the coop my chickens seem to love the blue rope lights. I guess cuz it gives off the right amount of light. You really can't get the perfecting lighting in this picture cuz I had to use flash.

You can see my two month old black australorps roosting on a branch and then my other girls roosting on there nesting boxes! Lol . Overall with the light in the coop mine seem to feel comfortable. As for your they should have caught the hang of it already. Now what to do is leave food in the coop and water in the run, hang some rope lights in the coop and shoo them in at night either way they will learn eventually cuz they have to lay eggs somewhere! Goodluck hope this helped!

 

[nuttyboo]

I had my husband buy a panel of the clear corrugated plastic and put in a skylight on roof that way it stayed lighter in the coop they could get settled before dark

 

[collmichelle]

I had the same problem! What I did was shoo them in and it seemed to work! But if that doesn't work you could could just stick them in through there door it would help if I had a picture of your coop then it would be easier for me to tell. This is my coop and as you can see I have rope lights around the run and a heat lamp with a regular light bulb pointing away from the coop into the run cuz it helps keep predators away.
Now as for them being comfortable in the coop my chickens seem to love the blue rope lights. I guess cuz it gives off the right amount of light. You really can't get the perfecting lighting in this picture cuz I had to use flash.
You can see my two month old black australorps roosting on a branch and then my other girls roosting on there nesting boxes! Lol . Overall with the light in the coop mine seem to feel comfortable. As for your they should have caught the hang of it already. Now what to do is leave food in the coop and water in the run, hang some rope lights in the coop and shoo them in at night either way they will learn eventually cuz they have to lay eggs somewhere! Goodluck hope this helped!

Awesome idea with the rope lights....I may have to try that. What a great setup. thanks for the detailed info!!! Much appreciated