Won't leave coop unless they see me!

[ShabbyChic]

Hello. Our 5 week old chicks will not leave their coop unless they see me in the yard. Then, all they do is hang at the fence trying to get to me. They have a nice coop and a big yard to run in. I wouldn't even care except I'm in Kentucky and the temps are in the upper 90's all week with a hear index of 104 or more. I've been freezing bottles for them and putting those in the coop. But when I can get them out in the yard I throw crushed ice down for them. They lay in it, nibble at it, and stop panting for a while.They are under a tarp for shade and there is a nice steady breeze blowing too. They don't seem to be afraid of the tarp, or really anything. They seem more comfortable outside but they will not venture out on their own! The past two afternoons I've forced them out and shut their door. I've tried cold watermelon as a treat too. They didn't care for it.

So, my first question is, should I force them out and shut the door so they can't get back in or will that cause them more stress, and therefore more heat exhaustion?
Secondly, it seems that they are imprinted on me (since they will only go out when I'm out). Will that behavior go away as they become older and more independent?
Thirdly, am I over thinking this? Will instinct kick in and they won't let themselves be roasted alive? I read a book that implied chicks learn a lot from their mother hen. But my chicks only had me from day one, so do I need to teach them stuff? Like go outside where it's cooler and come in out of the rain when a storm hits!

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Pele]

You're pretty much right on the money. They see you as momma, and look to you for what to do.

The key with chicken-training is routine and treats. Make it the same time every day that you lure them out of the coop for some quality ice and tarp time. Include treats like mealworms and cracked corn. You'll probably only have to do this for maybe a week at most before they'll be raising a racket at the door demanding to be let out that time of day.

Also, chicks have a very strong instinct to avoid open spaces (which is why they skirt your fence). If it's possible, you might want to make the tarp more accessable to them via a 'safe' route, so they don't have to cross open space to get to it.