Getting chickens in coop at night

[marilyngurl22]

Any tips for getting my chickens (8-9 weeks old) to go in their coop at night? We have a ramp from their little door to the ground and they will come down it each morning but they won't go up it at night. They sit at the big door and wait for me to open it for them. I like to keep it closed during the day because of bees but they won't go up the ramp for water or food and at night. I'm not sure what to do. Leaving the door open during the day so they can eat/drink seems to be counterproductive. I've tried waiting them out past dark (which scares me! Owls are abundant here) and tried treats to encourage them to go up the ramp. No luck. They just hunker down for sleep on the stairs. Tips on how I should handle this? Thanks!

 

[bluey]

The only way I know to train chickens to consider a coop home is to close them in it for 2-3 days. Feed and water them inside the coop during this period (although I wouldn't do that afterwards- attracts predators). After that they will always return before dark.

 

[Messipaw]

I kept my girls in their coop for a week straight. Then introduced them to the pen. I left the poop door open so they could have full access. Once they started going into the coop on their own and roosting I started to let them free range. I let them out about an hour before dark. The reason for this is so they didn't roam to far. I increased their free range little by little and it all worked out. They always returned to the run about 30 mins before dark then they filed into the coop to roost one by one. Hope this helps.

 

[Messipaw]

I also encouraged them to come to me with a "here girls" call out and a rattle of the meal worms container. While they are locked in the pen start to train them. Shake some meal worms or sun flower seeds then "here girls" them throw the treats close to them. Eventually they will come running to you the second they hear your voice. Mine do for me. Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mine practically always do the same as yours and I do leave mine locked in the coop portion for at least a week before I let them into their run. I have an elevated grow-out coop and the first night most and usually all go to sleep in a pile near the door but on the ground. I have a run attached to that grow-out coop that is pretty predator proof. They don’t leave that area until they all start to sleep in the coop.

Every night after they have settled down, I toss the ones that are sleeping outside into the coop. They are really easy to catch after it is dark. Each brood is different. Some catch on immediately and the second night they put themselves to bed in the coop. Others may take over a week to catch on. A “normal” progression is that a very few put themselves to bed inside the coop after a night or two of doing that but others stay outside. Every night more put themselves to bed until eventually all do. Usually within a week all of them are going inside.

One of the funniest things I’ve seen happened last year with about 16 chicks. The first night they all tried to sleep outside so I tossed them in and locked them up. The next evening just as they were settling in for the night I went down there to do something else. They were all settling in outside but when they saw me they went inside the coop. It took maybe three minutes before all of them were inside. I never had a problem with any of them after that.

Then I’ve had groups where all of them stayed outside after more than a week before any started going inside on their own. It took over two weeks before they were all going inside.

Normally my brooder raised chicks start to roost on the roosts at night somewhere between 10 to 12 weeks of age. I’ve had some start by 5-1/2 weeks and some take a lot longer than 12 weeks but 10 to 12 is normal. I’ve noticed the ones that start roosting earlier ae also the ones that go into the grow-out coop easier, even if they sleep on the floor of that coop and don’t roost.

If you can lure them inside with that treats trick, which can work, and lock them inside a little before dark, that may help teach them to go to bed themselves. Being able to call them by rattling a treats bucket or using a call is really helpful in other ways too. It’s a good thing to teach your chicks, just always give them a treat when you use it.

 

[marilyngurl22]

Well, I no sooner asked and they started going up the ramp and through their chicken door. Yay! Super cute to see them all roosting together when I go lock up at night! Thanks for the tips! I didn't keep them shut in like you guys mentioned which is probably why they had a hard time figuring it out in the first place. Good to know! Thanks!