Chicken routines? Share your expertise please

Hello, I have been reading the post in regards to bringing chickens in a night. I was wondering what time do you let them out and bring them in? Or is it when its light and dark? It is taking me a lot of time with my children to rally them all up into the coop. They are FAST! They have been in their new coop about 2 weeks and they free range in a large run.



I assume this is stressing them that we are catching them with our hands because they do not freely come to us. I have been introducing treats to them like cabbage heads etc. to graze on during the day but they will not even go to it if I am in the coop. I have started having the children and I sit in the coop so they can trust us. My children are VERY gentle with them all. Any ideas for our family?

I have seen them all use the ramp so I know they are capable but even last night it stormed on my way home from work (dinner time) and they didn't go into their home.

Just open the door to the coop before dark. I leave my coop door open all day and all night unless in a blizzard.

Now if they all pile up somewhere else, and they might, wait till it is full dark, then go out with a flashlight, and put them in the coop. Chickens in the dark are very easy prey, because they are nearly comatose. They may make a little noise, and struggle briefly, but nothing like in the daylight. They won't even wake up enough to know it is you. After a couple of days, they will put themselves to bed.

You are right in the idea of the chase is making them scared of you, and going down and sitting with them is a good idea, they will calm down.

You didn't ask for this advice, but take it or leave it, looking at your run, I would add a roost or two in the corners of the run, and maybe a pallet up on bricks. It will look a bit cluttered in there, but multiple levels, help birds get away from each other, the pallet will give a little shade, and it is a bit of exercise getting up and off of them. It makes for happier chickens.

It is a fun hoby.

Mrs K

@MRS. K- Thank you so much for your "added" advice It is appreciated! We are new to chickens so we have been researching as much as possible. I have been adding roosts since this picture was taken but the levels is an idea I hadn't thought of other than roost levels. We actually have some skids at home we can use right away. In terms of the catching them at night I will take that approach. I did leave them the one night to see if they would hunker down somewhere and they were all piled into the corning of the run and they were easier to catch. I was just afraid to leave them in the dark in case animals came around. we are in a fenced back yard though not in the country open space so likely we wouldn't get many if any at all.

Elishkamo said:

@MRS. K- Thank you so much for your "added" advice It is appreciated! We are new to chickens so we have been researching as much as possible. I have been adding roosts since this picture was taken but the levels is an idea I hadn't thought of other than roost levels. We actually have some skids at home we can use right away. In terms of the catching them at night I will take that approach. I did leave them the one night to see if they would hunker down somewhere and they were all piled into the corning of the run and they were easier to catch. I was just afraid to leave them in the dark in case animals came around. we are in a fenced back yard though not in the country open space so likely we wouldn't get many if any at all.

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You'd be surprised at what's skulking around in the night... Especially now that you have chickens!

Also, ditto everything Mrs. K told you.

I just got my girls a week ago. I have a light rigged in the coop to turn in at 5 am as the sun is coming up. Then I get up shortly thereafter to let them all out. I have the light timed shut off around 7am and then turn back on before dusk until about 8:30pm right now. The chickens literally put themselves to bed one by one as It gets dark outside. It was amazing to see the first time. Btw- my hens are 24 was old. So now I simply keep checking on them until they are all in the coop and when they are all in (usually by 8 right now) I shut the door to the coop.

Thanks for the best wishes today and your advice! You won't believe it that tonight after posting today about my lengthy chicken rallying they all went in tonight on their own! I didn't change anything yet except that I didn't head out at 8:30 to tuck them in. You won't believe how excited I was to see them all snuggled up in their home we built them!