Putting up at night...what am I doing wrong?

[Coolbreeze89]

An hour or so before it gets dark, I go out to put my 50 or so free-ranging chickens in their coop for the night. Some go in fine, others have to be chased/caught. It’s getting ridiculous. I have a bright red scoop for scratch, I shake it and toss the scratch in their run to draw them in. The chickens furthest out just don’t care...How do people just have an automatic door, when my husband and I have to corral so many chickens? They’ve lived in this coop for ~6weeks. They only get feed in the coop. I’ll give a little scratch during the day, shaking the red scoop to reinforce the habit, but no feed provided out of the coop. They have about 2 acres to forage. TIA

 

[sourland]

Just as kids like to play outside till last light, so do chickens.

 

[Broodygranny]

Most chickens go in by themselves. If you wait a little later, do they just go in? Some will try to roost in trees, but almost all the ones I have had over the past 20 years just go back to their roost in the coop when it gets dark.

 

[azygous]

Your problem is a common one. And, believe it or not, it's easily resolved.

The first thing you need to accept is that your chickens may not be ready to go in to roost when it's convenient for you. Chickens are creatures of habit and instinct. Both are strong drives. You're trying to fight two immovable objects.

Think about it. The reason automatic coop doors work so well is because the chickens get to go inside when they're ready. The automatic door is set to close after the chickens are all in. You know what time to set it to close by watching your chickens go inside and noting what time they start drifting toward "home" and about what time they are all safely roosting.

Chickens usually are drawn to their coop as the light gets low, often as the sun sets. I've learned to watch for the alpine glow on the mountain across the canyon from me. Just as the last of the glow is disappearing, the chickens have all gone in. All I need to do is close the pop holes and latch them.

It's not so hard. Just follow your chickens' lead.

 

[Flamens Farm]

Some like being the last ones in and the first ones out. I only had 2 barred rocks that did not want to go back in the pen at night, they wanted to roost on top of the pen. They no longer do that, they all go in just before dark, some sooner than others that's all.

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Most chickens go in by themselves. If you wait a little later, do they just go in? Some will try to roost in trees, but almost all the ones I have had over the past 20 years just go back to their roost in the coop when it gets dark.

I’ll try waiting longer... I didn’t want to wait too long for owls/coyotes to come out, or for it to get too dark to see them. I worry!

 

[Mrs. K]

Try a long stick. Go out farther than the farthest away hen, position yourself so that the chickens are between you and the coop or run gate. Tap the ground and say "hut, hut" or something similar. Step forward moving slow, and only move forward until the chickens begin to walk away from you toward the coop. When they stop, you take a step or too, tapping the ground calling, but just until they begin to move, then stop. This is a case where going slow is faster. If a bird try to get by you, just tap the ground near her. If she does escape, just ignore her and keep pressuring the other birds.

If you have a bit of scratch on the ground just inside the gate, it will help, them a bigger pile farther in. Now go back and repeat with any of the birds that got away.

If you move slow, you can quickly gather a flock up anytime of the day if you want to pen them.

Mrs K

 

[Coolbreeze89]

Try a long stick. Go out farther than the farthest away hen, position yourself so that the chickens are between you and the coop or run gate. Tap the ground and say "hut, hut" or something similar. Step forward moving slow, and only move forward until the chickens begin to walk away from you toward the coop. When they stop, you take a step or too, tapping the ground calling, but just until they begin to move, then stop. This is a case where going slow is faster. If a bird try to get by you, just tap the ground near her. If she does escape, just ignore her and keep pressuring the other birds.

If you have a bit of scratch on the ground just inside the gate, it will help, them a bigger pile farther in. Now go back and repeat with any of the birds that got away.

If you move slow, you can quickly gather a flock up anytime of the day if you want to pen them.

Mrs K

I’ve been doing scratch and I use a stick-net (for length, not to actually trap them). I’ll try going more slowly...maybe I’m rushing too much!

 

[RWise]

I find I have to wait until dusk, sun has already set, then go lock down and all the birds are in the coop. Even a few minutes can make all the difference, some just like to be the last one up, others want to be the first to claim their spot.
As long as they know where home is there is no need to chase them into the coop, grab a cold drink set back and let it happen.

 

[aart]

Even a few minutes can make all the difference, some just like to be the last one up, others want to be the first to claim their spot.

I found this goes by seniority, highest in pecking order get to roost first.
Saw this in spades with my 3 age groups this year,
olders wouldn't even let youngers into coop until they'd filled their crops and gone to roost.