They won't go in the coop at night-help!

[MD Chicken chic]

Just thought I would post an update and let you all know that my chickens are now going in the coop every night at dusk without the light! Three are roosting, and the Silkies and my Welsummer all sleep together in a nesting box. I'm so happy!

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

It is those evil Silkies.......

I moved the sister to your Welsummer and the other hatch mages from that hatch to the big chicken house Thursday night. All is well and they are roosting with the others. I guess the Welsummer really likes her Silkie buddies.

So did you figure out if you have a Silkie Roo?

 

[MD Chicken chic]

Haha! Evil Silkies. Yeah, I think the Welsummer (her name is Annie)

just likes them better. Or, maybe she thinks she's a Silkie now. Oh well, at least they are all coming in now and acting like chickens and I'm so happy now that I don't have to crawl through the poop anymore.

Haven't figured out if I've got a Silkie roo yet. Of course, I have no experience with that. And, I haven't heard anybody squawking lately. I guess I should post pics here of both and see if anybody can help.

 

[pondguy2004]

Keep trying, last fall I had to put 1 group inside every night for 3 weeks, before they got it. They even piled up and smothered 2 welsummer pullets, trying to keep warm, on the ground!! Tim with a whole bunch of chickens, fish and whatever else the wife drug in. Woops, just saw the last post. Guess they finally got it, too!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Just MHO here, but I'd break them from sleeping in the nest boxes now before it becomes a long established habit that's harder to break. Sleeping in the nest boxes come egg laying time and you'll end up with poopy eggs every day.
Glad they got the hang of going in the coop.

 

[MD Chicken chic]

How do you break a chicken out of the habit of sleeping in a nest box?

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
With lots of patience.
Since they are too young to lay, start by blocking off the nest boxes. You can uncover them again as laying time gets near.
Breaking them takes going out to the coop every night for a few nights and moving them to the roosts. I've found that using a penlight works well for this. It gives you enough light to see by, but not enough light that the chickens will feel comfortable with moving again. If you are consistent with going out every night they'll eventually get the idea. Usually takes a few days, maybe a week.