Five week old chicks not going into coop at night

[jnicholes]

Are you putting them in after it gets dark out or while there is still light out?

Both, actually. One time I went out there, and it was completely dark, but they were all huddled in in that corner sleeping.

 

[aart]

No windows, but there is ventilation on the top. I just finished building the coop about a week ago. If I need to add windows, I can.

Would be good to add windows for light in winter and ventilation in summer. Top hinged windows are goo for this.

You have a nice roof overhang ..and I assume you will cover the roof sheathing completely with water proof material?

 

[Yardmom]

When you put the chicks in at night are you able to put them in the same way that they would go in by themselves? If so it can speed up the process of them learning where they should go. I think windows would help as well.

 

[jnicholes]

When you put the chicks in at night are you able to put them in the same way that they would go in by themselves? If so it can speed up the process of them learning where they should go. I think windows would help as well.

Yes, but every time I put them in through the small door, they run back out to join the others. It’s quite a hassle getting them through that door.

 

[Barnette]

No windows, but there is ventilation on the top. I just finished building the coop about a week ago. If I need to add windows, I can.

I would. I would use hard plastic or glass, if you can, with a wire screen on the inside. It provides great airflow in the summer and critters can't get in if there's a screen

 

[MountainWoman73]

Yes, but every time I put them in through the small door, they run back out to join the others. It’s quite a hassle getting them through that door.

Yep. It can be a hassle for sure. Just keep stuffing them in there. They'll figure it out eventually.

 

[NatJ]

Yes, but every time I put them in through the small door, they run back out to join the others. It’s quite a hassle getting them through that door.

Is there any treat they particularly like to eat? You might be able to put the treat inside the coop, stuff in any that didn't put themself in, and then close the door. If you do it a bit before sundown, they will have to settle for the night inside the coop, and will hopefully start to get used to it.

For a treat, I like to use wet feed (chick starter + water.) After they have tried it once or twice, chicks usually like it enough that they will run up and eat as fast as they can. They have to stay right at the dish to eat it, rather than grabbing pieces and running around, so that makes it good for putting them in a particular place. (I learned the hard way that bread crusts do not work: the first bird grabs the crust and runs back outside, and everyone else follows.)

Another benefit of using wet feed is that you do not have to think about whether they are getting "too much" and getting fat or missing important nutrients. That is a concern with scratch or mealworms or most other common "treats," but the only effect of eating more wet feed is the chicks eat less dry feed, so they get the same total amount in the day anyway.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What you are describing is not that unusual. I always have to coop train mine. Mine is elevated which I think is my problem with them not wanting to go in to sleep initially even after they have spent a week staying in the coop section only. Yours is ground level but has no light. It is possible it is too dark in there for them to see to go to bed, many people on this forum have talked about that. The solution is to add a window or put a light in there a bit before bedtime so they can see. You can turn it off when you lock them up at night.

Many people solve this by housing the chicks in the coop for a week or so before they let them in the run. If it is not light enough for them to see in there you can't do that. A window can be really helpful. At that size that coop is plenty big enough for that.

I counted eight chicks. My broods are typically around 20 chicks. I put them in the coop at night until they learn the coop is where they need to sleep. I wait until it is dark so they are easier to catch.

I had one brood that learned to go into the coop after only one night of putting them in. I've had two broods that took three weeks before the last few went in. Most broods take about a week to learn. Each brood is different, it works that way when you are dealing with living animals.

I had the same concern about raccoons reaching through my 2' x 4' welded wire fence so I put some hardware cloth on that fence in that area. I don't know if that was necessary but I felt a lot better after I did that.

To sum up: Keep putting them in after dark and lock them in. Until you can get a window installed use a glo-stick or portable light inside. Consider hardware cloth or reach protection.

Good luck!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Jared, I agree with the necessity of putting some windows in. Secure them with 1/2" hardware cloth, attached to the outside so predators can't push it in. Once you add windows, the chicks will be able to see to go in, and if there are roosts they can reach, hopefully they'll want to roost as well. They won't want to go into a dark scary place where they can't see whether it's safe. Good luck!

 

[jnicholes]

Thank you all. I just bought a window today, and I’m going to install it when the temperatures drop.