Teaching my hens to return to the coop

[epeloquin]

Quote:
Very similar to what we did.

 

[Amarisus]

Urban Chaos wrote:

Our girls went outside at 3-4 wks old, we did not do the lock them in a week method, instead, we would heard them toward the coop, some would walk up the ramp - others were placed in. This was done each evening for several days. Now they just go in when they are done for the day.

This is exactly what we did. After only 4 days our flock was going in at dusk all by themselves. The only difference is that we did not put ours out till about 8 weeks.​

 

[nicokl502]

what i do with my new chickens is start off by putting them in there coop and letting them find there own way out i leave there water out there and put there food outside and then at night i put them in there coop after a few days they know that when the sun goes down its time to go some chicken take longer my 1st lot had a harder time but with in 2 weeks they knew when it time to go home and too bed

 

[posterchild]

Thanks for all your help.

Now I am unsure as to how long I should wait to put the girls outside permanently. It is the start of winter here and we are having some frosts, is 6 weeks too early to put them out? We don't have a heat lamp. Thanks

 

[chickenbottom]

oh thats a whole different story if you are getting frosts and things like that (where are you from) you in this case need to wait until they are fully feathered so the winter temps arnt to harsh for them

 

[Amarisus]

Quote:
In that case I would definately wait the full 8 weeks or even more. And getting a heat lamp would be a grand idea. I get mine at our local feed store. We get pretty large ones with bulb included for under 25 dollars.

 

[Jeevesrules]

Will a mama hen teach her babys to roost at night??

 

[posterchild]

Quote:
I am in southern Australia. We're getting down to 1 deg celsius at night (and not much lower) at the moment. I will keep them in the brooder a few more weeks and just put them out during the day.

Thanks guys!

 

[PStenger]

We have a coop with a small run under fully enclosed. (Haven't built the actual run yet) the chicks act weird when night is fallng but they are not going up the stairs to the actual coop. Any insight on training for this? They are 5 weeks old.