What time to close them up for the night?

[MontanaDolphin]

So...tonight is my second attempt to leave my chicks in the coop all night long (first time was a failure...couldn't take the crying coming from them so I brought them back into the house). I know that they are supposed to return to the coop at dusk...but what kind of dusk are we talking about? When do I shut the coop door with them inside? When the sun has gone down, when it's almost dark, or when it's completely dark outside? Thanks!

 

[Keltara]

You can do it at dusk (before total dark) so it's easier for you to round them up. This way it will help to teach them to go there to sleep. Don't worry about them peeping. They'll be just fine. When you put them into the coop, be sure to put them in through the pop door so they will learn that this how to get to bed. You may need to do this for a while until they learn. Eventually they'll learn to put themselves to bed and you'll just need to go shut the pop door.

Kelly

✿​

Our Country Chronicles

✿​

​

 

[AppalachianLawn]

Agree with Keltara, for the first week I put them in just before dark soon after that I could count on them between 8 and 8:15 to be in the coop getting ready for bed.
PS, I always took the peeping is that they were happy in their new big home

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Well, it's not completely dark yet...but it will be soon...it's 8 pm, so I'm going to go close them up for the night!

Thank you both! And wish me luck LOL

 

[MontanaDolphin]

They're in! After I rounded them up and got them inside, I realized I forgot the nightlight...so I closed the coop, ran in the house and got the light, and ran back out. I heard peeping, and thought oh no...not again...but to my surprise, when I opened the "human" door, five of the six were up on the top roost, snuggled together, some with their eyes closed! One of my girls...Boring Girl...was all by herself on the bottom roost...so I moved her up with the rest. It's supposed to get down to 38-40 degrees tonight, and I figure she'll need some body heat. I'm just a little worried about the two on the ends...each are my pullets...and they have no warmth on one side of them. All four boys are in the middle, tucked between the two girls. I sat in there for a few minutes, and all of them fell asleep

I hope they do ok and I don't wake up and find frozen chicks...I'll feel so guilty for putting them out there tonight if I lose any

 

[wayne hulgan]

We found that leaving them locked in the coop for 4 or 5 days really teaches them where home is. We put our little ones out last week, left them locked in the coop for 4 days then let them out. Right before sunset, they went right to bed, right before the older girls. Sure beats chasing them around to put them up at night.

 

[ny mason]

how old are they?
sorry if I missed that in another post but im new here and have chicks im getting ready to have out also.

 

[Kernel Cluck]

I had to do the pop door thing for several days and then they just went in on their own. The little peep, meow, or puppy whine is natures way of making you worry too much. How old are the girls. Are they feather out?

 

[MontanaDolphin]

how old are they?
sorry if I missed that in another post but im new here and have chicks im getting ready to have out also.

I had to do the pop door thing for several days and then they just went in on their own. The little peep, meow, or puppy whine is natures way of making you worry too much. How old are the girls. Are they feather out?

They will be eight weeks old on Wednesday. They have all their feathers. I'm still worried though LOL! Here are some pics of them that I took on Saturday:

Boring Girl:


Athena (my favorite out of them all...this is my BABY...I love her!):


Boring Boy:


Brave Boy:


Pixie (my smallest cockerel):


Zues (my favorite cockerel, and the biggest):

 

[ny mason]

There ready,dont worry!!
good looking birds by the way!