[FarmerKat]

It was a big day yesterday for our chicks. They are 5 weeks old and we moved them from the brooder into the chicken tractor.

I had two guineas (3-4 months old) in the tractor for a few weeks now and we are not ready with the permanent chicken coop. But the chicks just were ready to move into a bigger better place. Thankfully it went really well and the chicks and guineas are getting along quite well. I put two separate waterers and 3 separate feeders in to be sure that if anyone gets pushed away from water or food, they can go to another.

This is also a good week to get them out because it is hot and the lows are 65-67 degrees (the forecast is to have at least a week or 10 days warm like this). The chicks are comfortable in that temperature. We were ready to put a light bulb in if needed, but they were not puffed or huddled (they were all comfortably roosting).

We did have a little issue in the evening. The guineas have been going inside the "coop" part of the tractor every night since the moment we put them in. I closed the door each night at dark and let them out in the morning. Well, last night everyone was settled in but then something spooked them and when I came out to close the door, they were all in the run area of the tractor and did not seem happy (they were okay, just their chirps did not sound happy). I checked the tractor to make sure something did not get in (it would have to be small - like a small snake, but anything is possible) but I did not see anything. The only other thing that could have spooked them that I can think of is smoke from the brush we were burning last night. Who knows ...

After a while, everyone settled down in the run under the coop but by then it was too dark and they did not want to go back in the coop. I had to climb inside the tractor and put them in the "coop" one by one. They were content once back in and are happy today. I hope that tonight they will go back in the coop by themselves.

 

[Forcast]

I have the same deal with my chicks not going in at dark, so I made a funnel type deal and at dusk I walk behind everyone and tell them to go to bed. Its been working and some are going to roost on there own, I keep a 60 watt light in the junior coop so they have heat and light if needed. I also had to close off under thing areas, it was too hard on my old knees to climb around to scoop out birds. I close it off around 5-7pm a little before dusk starts. I know its a pain in the butt but its too hard doing it with a flash light.

 

[FarmerKat]

I have the same deal with my chicks not going in at dark, so I made a funnel type deal and at dusk I walk behind everyone and tell them to go to bed. Its been working and some are going to roost on there own, I keep a 60 watt light in the junior coop so they have heat and light if needed. I also had to close off under thing areas, it was too hard on my old knees to climb around to scoop out birds. I close it off around 5-7pm a little before dusk starts. I know its a pain in the butt but its too hard doing it with a flash light.

I am glad my chicks are not the only ones not going in ... hehe. The irritating thing is that they corrupted my two guineas who used to go in all by themselves and now they follow the chicks. They did it again last night. Tonight, if it is after 5 and they are in the coop, they are getting locked up for the night. My husband thinks it is the funniest thing that I crawl in the chicken poop at night to pick them up. I tell him, it's true love for my chicks.