Anyway to Re-train Chickens?

[DesireeB]

So, I bought four olive eggers all of laying age from someone. Kept them in the coop for a few days when I first got them, then set them to free range with my others. That night, only one of the four returned to the coop for bed and I couldn't get them to go inside. I called the lady I bought them from to see if she had a special call or something. She informed me that those hens did not go to a coop at night. "Sorry,"she said. My problem is I have an overgrown area across the way from the coop and at night these hens just fly up to a tree branch for the night. They know where the coop is because they go in to lay eggs. What about when winter comes? I also worry about predators-though they are roosting up pretty high in the tree. Can I re-train them somehow? I ran them out of the tree the first night, but they would not go in the coop for anything.

 

[WIchickMama]

I would keep them in their coop for a week or two so that they get used to knowing that it is a safe place. Some chickens just might not come back to the coop, depending on what their previous life was like.

How old are they?

Do you have a coffee can or bucket you can put scratch/treats in and use it to 'call' them home every night for a few weeks. You might have to walk out to where they are, throw some down, call and shake the can while walking back to the coop. keeping tossing a little bit down (not enough to make them stop and eat like a buffet) until you get to the coop, toss some in and close them up. Eventually, you should be able to stand by the coop door and just shake the can.

 

[3KillerBs]

Here's a useful article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

Shutting them into their coop for a week, if possible, will help. But don't do this if your coop doesn't have adequate space or ventilation.

Can you close them into a run for a couple weeks? At least they'll be easier to catch and put into the coop that way.