training to walk up and into the coop at night?

[PurpleMint]

Wow, I know I'm new and all and I've been thinking it was me or my chickens. So this is all normal. Hehe, I moved my 5 week old chicks to the coop a couple days ago. I've been lifting them up and teaching them to walk up the ladder at night and help them perch/roost at night. It's funny cause they look at me like they're saying "help us". But they are catching on.

 

[ButchGood]

Mine are 4 weeks old. They have been living in a 8x8 coop and have a 25x25 run. They have been living like big girls for 9 days now. I have to round up all 16 every evening before dark and put them in. I let them out and put them in the same door nightly. They come down the ramp fine,very excited to start their day every morning. But they need chasing down every evening. I'm sure they'll get it,they're only 4 weeks old. I made one mistake and didn't get them inside before the coop got dark. I let them stay out until after dusk. A couple chicks started making the distress PEEP PEEP PEEP. I told the wife, lets round them up they want in. When we got them inside they ALL started with the distress Peeps, it was so sad. After about 2 minutes they settled down. I now make sure I get them in before it gets dark in the coop. They then eat a little, drink a little and get settled in for the night.
Doughie had a good idea I'm going to try, Hang a night light inside and see if they gravitate towards the light.

Update: they all come out in the morning and put themselves up in the evening now. No night light was required. Just all of a sudden they got it. No worries.... its very nice.

 

[Quigs Chicks]

I have 4 chicks, two are 6 weeks old and two are 4 weeks old and we just moved them to the coop 4 days ago.
Every night I had to put them into the coop at night, and set them on the roost, but the two smaller ones would jump down and sleep on the entrance to the nest box.
You could always tell in the morning where they spent the night with the piles of poop left behind, and the smaller poop being in the nesting boxes.
I did close up the nesting boxes, and added a lower roost bar for the two smaller chicks and that worked well last night.
So last night, time to put them away, and I started with our RIR, who is the most timid, and put her inside, I went to get the others, and they were already on the ramp, so left them alone, and the other three all went inside, which was nice.

I like the idea of a light inside, and I will try that tonight, to entice them inside.

 

[suzeqf]

It took my little girls a few days to figure it out and they also like to sleep in a hen huddle on the floor but I figure once they get older they will roost on the roost poles and ladder with the big girls, they've been in the coop with the big girls for almost 2 weeks.

 

[Hawgon]

Butchgood-Mine did the same thing, but I got lucky it only took them a day or two and they did it all on there own. They have been sleeping in the nest boxes though so I blocked them off Sunday and they are now using the roost bars at night. It is amazing how all of a sudden they get it.....

 

[RonC]

I had a thought after reading all the posts about people having trouble getting their chicks on the coop. The light should help but, mine don't go in until it is completely dark. Not at twilight, maybe being kids but they stay out till the last minute.

 

[bamafan87]

My 8 chicks were 6 weeks old when i put them out in the coop and they were wanting to sleep outside on the ground so I had to go out there and put them in as well. I only had to do this twice! Now the only problem I have is them wanting to right at the door and some on the top of their ladder so i have to go out there and sorta push them on into the coop which does have roosts. Any suggestions?

 

[PurpleMint]

Last night I decided to just observe and see if they could figure it out themselves. So just a couple minutes after the sun went down they started hanging around the door looking for me. They did not go up the ladder. So I did assist. Hehe. BUT they ALL went straight to roost on their own and were completely quiet. So they are getting it. They do come out of the coop in the AM just fine. It's going up the ladder at night that they don't get. I'll see if they figure that out tonight. I know chickens do as they see so maybe I can walk a stuffed animal chicken up the ladder, they will follow. (j/k).

 

[PurpleMint]

Yay! So proud of my girls. They went into the coop and put themselves to sleep tonight.

 

[SleepyOwl]

Yay!