night time training

[tarragon]

This is day 2 of life in the coop. My girls are 7 weeks old, spent all yesterday, last night, today in their new home. As it was getting dark I went out to scoot them up the ramp and into bed. Found them in the corner of the feeding area, crowded together and peeping like mad. After I managed to get them all up into the coop they all piled into a corner on the floor and kept peeping. Reached in and put 2 on the roost. They jumped back down into the pile in the corner. I'm guessing this is just some lingering fear of the new routine, the new surroundings. They don't seem to be cold, just scared. Last night my hubby said they raised quite a fuss when he tucked them in, but they were silent when I checked on them 2 hours later when I got home. Is there anything I should be doing differently or is this just a normal adjustment for them?

 

[gritsar]

Normal adjustment. So long as you are sure they are warm enough (they should be fine at 7 weeks old) and they are not in danger of having a pile up incident where the ones are the bottom can be smothered, bid them goodnight, lock the door and walk away. They have to get used to it.

They are big girls now.

 

[chickensRcute]

My first set of chicks did the same thing. Pile in the corner and then they moved to the nests to roost, now a year later they are finally using the roosts to, well, roost! Good luck, they will figure it all out!

 

[OkChickens]

This is normal for them to do this. They are not used to there new environment yet. Give them a week or so they will adjust just fine!

Nate

 

[tarragon]

Thanks everyone. They quieted down within half an hour. I don't think they are sleeping on the roosts yet, but they do enjoy looking out the east facing window in the morning.

 

[nicokl502]

just give them time in no time they will get in by them self when it gets dark and love being outside:yiipchick