What Age to Train Chicks to Go IN Night Coop???

[pirtykitty]

I have a 3 chicks ( 5 weeks old ) monday.. When do you start teaching them to go into coop and how... Right now we are catching them and putting them inside.. It's a raised pen with hardware cloth all the way around except for one end where hubby cut out the hardware cloth and build an outside nesting box.. He built the ramp for them today...
They are 3 pullets two RR and one Rhode Island Red.. ( fingers crossed) the sign at feed store said all pullets..

 

[Duramaxgirl]

I would think at about 8 weeks is when they'll start going in on their own. That's when my moms cornish cross started going in on their own... right before we butchered them!

 

[Kaitie09]

We always kept our locked in the coop for a few days to a week. That way they know where they are supposed to be a night, and they tend to go in by themselves automatically after that. I did have a few stragglers the first couple nights, but we just picked them up for a few days and they figured it out.

 

[KBlue]

Once the birds were out of the brooder, we kept them confined in their coop/run for a couple weeks so they would learn that it was home. After those weeks were completed, we would open the door about 15 minutes before sunset. Chickens will naturally find shelter to roost for the night, so if they know that the coop is there for them, they will remember to return. Do this for one week, then start increasing the time between opening the door and sunset. After several weeks, they should have the hang of things and you can just open the door in the morning and close it when it is dark out. I don't remember if we ever had any problems with this method...seemed to work well.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At 5 weeks they should be fully feathered out so they will not need supplemental heat. You should be good to go from that point, especially in Waco.

I agree. Leave them locked in the coop for a week or so, then let them out. They should understand that the coop is home and where they need to be at night. It has always worked for me, but like Katie09 mentioned, sometimes you have to take some extra steps.

 

[pirtykitty]

Thank you every one for your help... Have a great day.

 

[scott6150]

We've had to catch ours and put them in EVERY night since we 1st let them out...about 2 weeks now. We always did it @ dusk, but got home after dark last night and all were huddled up 2gether on the ground by the man door to the run. HELP! They go in and out of the coop ALL day by themselves.

 

[shmccarthy]

We always kept our locked in the coop for a few days to a week. That way they know where they are supposed to be a night, and they tend to go in by themselves automatically after that. I did have a few stragglers the first couple nights, but we just picked them up for a few days and they figured it out.

X2

 

[scott6150]

Thanks for the info~