6 Week old chicks sleeping under coop

[redinator]

I have 5 6-week old chicks that sleep under the coop rather than in it. I don't have any other chickens to teach them to go in the coop at night. They've been outside for 4 days and nights. Each night I have to grab them up from under the coop and put them in it. I'm thinking about closing off the underneath of the coop (for now) so that they're only cover during the day is inside the coop.

They don't even go in the coop during the day, they hangout under it. It has several access doors; nest box, ramp door and back door . . should I open it up completely during the day so they'll go in it? A friend suggested putting in food and water and leaving them in it for a few days/nights (if so how long), but that doesn't sound right to me. It seems like that would make them dislike it more. Should I add a light inside the coop?

This is the coop I have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRJCDQDN?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

This is their run
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQT3FG98?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3&th=1

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd block off the underside of the coop. Is it hot where you're at? Do they have other areas with deep shade? Looks like the run is roofed at least for shade.

Have they ever gone inside the coop voluntarily, day or night? If not, have you trained them to use the ramp? Chickens don't instinctively use ramps.

A friend suggested putting in food and water and leaving them in it for a few days/nights (if so how long)

This works as well as long the coop is large enough and well ventilated enough to safely leave them inside. A few days, a week, something like that works as well.

 

[Silkie fluff butts]

We've had to teach our things like that... and to go in from the rain! For the first year, our first batch of girls would get SOAKED and we'd have to bring them in and let them dry a bit. (They were Silkies, which don't have water repellant feathers like most breeds).

I have found that putting them in at dusk for at least a week, helps them develope the habit of going in at the proper time. Even more helpful, I have a light inside the coop that comes on just before dusk and turns off at 10pm. So, they learn to go where the light is. Incidently, our coup is next to our shop. So, we have to make sure it's lights are off at dusk, as well as our pattio lights, which isn't too far away. Do you keep their food and water in the coop? That will draw them in also (and reduce pests like rats, squirrels, and mice). Give it a little time. They're babies, still learning how life works.

 

[redinator]

I'd block off the underside of the coop. Is it hot where you're at? Do they have other areas with deep shade? Looks like the run is roofed at least for shade.

Have they ever gone inside the coop voluntarily, day or night? If not, have you trained them to use the ramp? Chickens don't instinctively use ramps.

This works as well as long the coop is large enough and well ventilated enough to safely leave them inside. A few days, a week, something like that works as well.

It's warm during the day 70-80 and chilly at night 40-50. The whole run is in the shadiest part of our yard with great tree cover. The run gets good sun for about 3-4 hours in the late afternoon 2-5p(ish). Seriously they got the best spot in our yard since summers can get very hot and humid. The coop has a roof as well as the entire run being covered by a tarp.

They all use the ramp since I sprinkled some mealworms on it to teach them how to use. Once they come out they only go back in if I toss some treats in, but they only go a few inches in, no matter how far in I throw treats. If something frightens them they hide under the coop rather than in it.

 

[Debbie292d]

We've had to teach our things like that... and to go in from the rain! For the first year, our first batch of girls would get SOAKED and we'd have to bring them in and let them dry a bit. (They were Silkies, which don't have water repellant feathers like most breeds).

Even as adults, I could never teach them lol. Some run for cover, the other half stand out in it, like they like it. Their coops are heated to 40F, so I just go out at night and make sure they dried off by then.

I agree about the light in the coop. That has helped teach our younger ones where to go at night too. It's usually four days before they will go themselves without us herding them in there. We do keep food/water in our coop too.

I have also heard many do lock them in the coop for a few days, to sort of drill it into them that that's where they go. We haven't had to do that, yet.

 

[redinator]

We've had to teach our things like that... and to go in from the rain! For the first year, our first batch of girls would get SOAKED and we'd have to bring them in and let them dry a bit. (They were Silkies, which don't have water repellant feathers like most breeds).

I have found that putting them in at dusk for at least a week, helps them develope the habit of going in at the proper time. Even more helpful, I have a light inside the coop that comes on just before dusk and turns off at 10pm. So, they learn to go where the light is. Incidently, our coup is next to our shop. So, we have to make sure it's lights are off at dusk, as well as our pattio lights, which isn't too far away. Do you keep their food and water in the coop? That will draw them in also (and reduce pests like rats, squirrels, and mice). Give it a little time. They're babies, still learning how life works.

I did discover the light trick by accident. We used to leave our outdoor light on in the backyard at night and I noticed they would gather up where the light was hitting the run. Since I started turning the light off they moved to sleeping under the coop, so I was thinking putting a light in the coop might work. If you have any suggestions on which light to get please let me know. It would need to be solar powered since I haven't run electricity to the run/coop just yet.

Them getting wet is my biggest concern since it still gets chilly (40-50F) some nights. Thankfully it hasn't rained since I moved them outside. I hope I get this figured out before that happens.

They've started knocking over their chick feeders and waters so I have two 5 gallon buckets with food/water ports on them in the run. I use pine shavings in the coop so when I tried to put the feeders/waters in there it would get filled with shavings, or gets knocked over.

I might be able to get larger feeders/waters in the coop if I removed the dividers for the nest boxes. And I could go back to the litter liners I used in their brooder to fix the shavings issue.

 

[redinator]

Even as adults, I could never teach them lol. Some run for cover, the other half stand out in it, like they like it. Their coops are heated to 40F, so I just go out at night and make sure they dried off by then.

View attachment 4080723

View attachment 4080724

I agree about the light in the coop. That has helped teach our younger ones where to go at night too. It's usually four days before they will go themselves without us herding them in there. We do keep food/water in our coop too.

I have also heard many do lock them in the coop for a few days, to sort of drill it into them that that's where they go. We haven't had to do that, yet.

Poor soggy messes, lol.

 

[Debbie292d]

I did discover the light trick by accident. We used to leave our outdoor light on in the backyard at night and I noticed they would gather up where the light was hitting the run. Since I started turning the light off they moved to sleeping under the coop, so I was thinking putting a light in the coop might work. If you have any suggestions on which light to get please let me know. It would need to be solar powered since I haven't run electricity to the run/coop just yet.

Since this is going to be temporary, I'd just pick up a cheap battery-operated camping lantern at Walmart or somewhere. It should only be a few days of you turning it on and off and then remove it once they're trained.

 

[BDutch]

Somehow the chicks need to learn what their home is if the run is not 100% safe.
I would do as followed:

First:
Make the inside a nice chicken palace , with a not slippery floor (cover the floor with cardboard / sand / bedding) .
There are good windows. Make one or both windows with hwc for much more fresh air/ventilation.
Take out a nestbox divider and make a large cozy nest with sand/hay or other nice nesting material. You have to put the food and water inside of course. Maybe you can use the 3th nestbox for this.

Second is locking them up inside for a few days, maybe 3 or 4. Im not sure if that is enough bc you have to break a wrong habit.

Third is being there yourself before dusk, hushing them to go inside and giving a treat inside before they go to sleep. An extra light till they are all inside might help.
Lock them up until the next morning, after sunrise.
If you open the door during the day, leave the food inside. This way they get used to ramp and they learn the coop is the place to be.

What kind of breed(s) do you have?

 

[redinator]

Somehow the chicks need to learn what their home is if the run is not 100% safe.
I would do as followed:

First:
Make the inside a nice chicken palace , with a not slippery floor (cover the floor with cardboard / sand / bedding) .
There are good windows. Make one or both windows with hwc for much more fresh air/ventilation.
Take out a nestbox divider and make a large cozy nest with sand/hay or other nice nesting material. You have to put the food and water inside of course. Maybe you can use the 3th nestbox for this.

Second is locking them up inside for a few days, maybe 3 or 4. Im not sure if that is enough bc you have to break a wrong habit.

Third is being there yourself before dusk, hushing them to go inside and giving a treat inside before they go to sleep. An extra light till they are all inside might help.
Lock them up until the next morning, after sunrise.
If you open the door during the day, leave the food inside. This way they get used to ramp and they learn the coop is the place to be.

What kind of breed(s) do you have?

This sounds like a good plan. I didn't think about making it a fun place, only comfortable to sleep in.

They are BYM so my best guesses are:
White leghorn male:

Easter Egger/Green Queen female:

Barred Cochin male of some sort:

Black (huh, IDK) female:

Some speckled crested breed (m/f?):