How to Train a Chicken… Can You??

[akf93]

My first flock of chickens and ducks are all around 6 months old and use the ramp and automatic chicken door to enter and exit the coop. My second flock of chickens and guineas are about 3 months old. We made a temporary run for the second flock (where the bedding is on the ground in the picture) and they would jump into the coop through the large access door at night. Well now they are all free ranging and the temp run is down but the little ones still only go through the access door at night. I’m worried if I don’t open it in the evening, they will decide to roost in the trees instead. Is there a way to train them to use the main door with the ramp? That is how they exit in the mornings but I don’t know how to safely break their going to bed habit. We have an automatic door but it’s basically useless unless this little flock learns to use it. Obviously our run is much too small to lock them in there so I’m not sure what I can do.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Lock your flock in the coop for two weeks. (Some chickens might take longer than two weeks.) After that they should know where to roost and return there every night.

What breeds do you have? Some chicken breeds will have a stronger instinct to roosting in trees than others.

As far as the guineas... I've never had good luck with training them to go in the coop at night. I usually just get a rubber ball and throw it up at them to knock them down. Then catch them and put them in the coop. They are very tree driven. They love their high roosts.

 

[akf93]

They coop at night just fine… as long as the access door is open. Even my guineas, I’ve never had an issue with so far! We had them in the temporary run by day and cooped with the older flock by night for over 3 weeks before letting them free range together. My older ones are laying now so I don’t think I can lock them into the coop/run at this point because it will prevent the others from getting in. They also eat in the run shown so they are used to the area. I’ve even seen several go into the coop using the ramp. Just not at night.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

They coop at night just fine… as long as the access door is open. Even my guineas, I’ve never had an issue with so far! We had them in the temporary run by day and cooped with the older flock by night for over 3 weeks before letting them free range together. My older ones are laying now so I don’t think I can lock them into the coop/run at this point because it will prevent the others from getting in. They also eat in the run shown so they are used to the area. I’ve even seen several go into the coop using the ramp. Just not at night.

Ok. Maybe just every night take each one and put them on a perch after dark. I've had to do that with a few of my birds, and eventually they got it. It just takes time.