Training your chickens to move to the coop at night - Page 2

Well first of all, they are imprinted to return to the same place every night at dusk.  They DO NOT want to be caught outside of their safety area at dark.  Keep them in the run for the first couple of months so they know what their "home" looks like, smells like, etc. Then start letting them range fifteen minutes or so before sunset. After a week or so, extend their freedom to thirty minutes, then for 1 hour, etc. After a month or two they head back home when the sun gets low.  Heck, they'll do it when a dark cloud comes up. Most breeds of domesticated chickens will not go further away from this place than 100 to 150 yards.  Also you can lead mine anywhere by shaking a coffee can full of corn.  AND you cannot "train" a chicken to do anything.  All you can do is navigate their natural instincts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoltonChicken 

  AND you cannot "train" a chicken to do anything.  

When I was a kid I watched a chicken play the piano at Knott's Berry Farm. ;)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by devora 

When I was a kid I watched a chicken play the piano at Knott's Berry Farm. ;)
 

 

I train some of my birds to come when called by name.  This summer they will be trained to operate different feeders for different types or amounts of food.

So I just had to introduce 4 eight week old hens and 1- 12 week old to my sole surviving (of a coyote attack) laying hen - she's about 6 months old. Well the two older ones go into the coop at night but the youngsters roost outside in the run...I think they're afraid of the older hens. It's been 3 days since I've put them together and they're finally co-existing except for the separation at night...what to do??? Just wait it out?