Getting my chickens to go into the coop at night

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Ilene

Ilene

Chirping
9 Years
Oct 18, 2013
55
9
99
I have 10 chickens. 8 of them willingly go into their coop when it gets dark.
2 however remain on the perch in their pen and I have to put them into the coop.
Any suggestions on getting them to go in on their own?
I don't want to be doing this when winter comes.
 
Ilene said:
I have 10 chickens. 8 of them willingly go into their coop when it gets dark.
2 however remain on the perch in their pen and I have to put them into the coop.
Any suggestions on getting them to go in on their own?
I don't want to be doing this when winter comes.
Click to expand...

U can try leaving them in the coop for a couple of days! Mine r being cooped right now for that very reason! If u dont wanna do that u might try treats inside the coop in the evenings! Good luck!
 
Ilene said:
I have 10 chickens. 8 of them willingly go into their coop when it gets dark.
2 however remain on the perch in their pen and I have to put them into the coop.
Any suggestions on getting them to go in on their own?
I don't want to be doing this when winter comes.
Click to expand...

I'm sitting here smiling as I write! I have one hen that will not go in by herself. She's a bantam and she will sit on top of the coop waiting to be carried into her house!
I have tried everything - I finally have given in to her... good luck with yours! I expect they will get the hang of it eventually (when it gets cold).
 
Ilene said:
I have 10 chickens. 8 of them willingly go into their coop when it gets dark.
2 however remain on the perch in their pen and I have to put them into the coop.
Any suggestions on getting them to go in on their own?
I don't want to be doing this when winter comes.
Click to expand...
How old are they?
How big is your coop(feet by feet) and how much roost length(feet) do you have for them?
 
perrypogue said:
Just my opinion but I think a lot of people do way too much micro managing their flock ... just let nature take it's course ...
Click to expand...

I suppose that would depend on your 'predator load' in the area. If you let the birds roost where ever, I could see a good percentage of your investment being eaten - and not by you....
sad.png
 
Well, I can't argue with that. I also live in a rural area (on one acre fenced) with all manner of predators. I'm new at this and I've lived in fear of a devastating attack ... yet I suppose I often have to learn the hard way. Probably by luck alone I've not had any attack as yet.

Just this morning I've come up with this hair brained idea. I'm enclosing a portion of my coop that has access to my pen. In this area I intend to raise another 10 chicks immediately. But as my chicks will be protected by the pen this will necessitate full time free ranging of my older birds. I'm thinking that by next May I can integrate the flock. At that time I would remove the partition and keep all my birds enclosed full time.

There's so much I don't know ... this is my 1st year and I'm just now getting good production of eggs. I would certainly hate to loose all this time should I suffer a major predator attack.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
perrypogue said:
Well, I can't argue with that. I also live in a rural area (on one acre fenced) with all manner of predators. I'm new at this and I've lived in fear of a devastating attack ... yet I suppose I often have to learn the hard way. Probably by luck alone I've not had any attack as yet.

Just this morning I've come up with this hair brained idea. I'm enclosing a portion of my coop that has access to my pen. In this area I intend to raise another 10 chicks immediately. But as my chicks will be protected by the pen this will necessitate full time free ranging of my older birds. I'm thinking that by next May I can integrate the flock. At that time I would remove the partition and keep all my birds enclosed full time.

There's so much I don't know ... this is my 1st year and I'm just now getting good production of eggs. I would certainly hate to loose all this time should I suffer a major predator attack.

Any advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Well,
wink.png
you could just do this:
perrypogue said:
Just my opinion but I think a lot of people do way too much micro managing their flock ... just let nature take it's course ...
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I'm having trouble picturing your coop. You say the chicks will be protected by the pen, but they will be in the coop? How big is your coop? Can you not 'split' the coop into two areas? Your chicks should not take up too much room initially - can you 'add on' a nursery type area to the coop?
Free ranging your adult birds is risky in terms of predator attention. Once a predator knows where there is a free chicken dinner, they will come back...also free ranging now and then expecting them to march back into the coop next year is- um - optimistic.
hmm.png
If your big birds are laying eggs, where are they going to lay if they are kicked out of the coop?
 
I've done just as you have suggested. My coop is 12x12 and 8' high... my pen is 12x24. I've built a small 4x4 nursery (inside the coop) that opens into the pen. My thought is to let the chicks has access to the pen when they're ready, but to keep the older birds separated from the chicks. They will need to be confined to the remaining space in the coop which may be large enough but I plan to allow them outside in the evenings. Even when they are allowed outside the coop door will be open ... they will always have access to their nesting boxes. They were raised in the coop and roost there ... there is no reason to think they would ever not want to return to the coop when they are ready to go to roost.

Does that sound more reasonable now?
 

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