Bed Time

[Squeeker12]

Hi, we just got our coop done and moved every one out last night. At 830, I would like them to put themselves to bed. How do I get them to do that on their own? It's so hard putting them in the coop myself. If there are any ideas, please let me know. Thank you all so much!!

 

[Mvan42]

If they are young you may need to teach them. Older ones should go in on their own. By putting the younger ones in, in the evenings they will learn. We are currently in the process of teaching our flock to go into their new coop and some young ones to go in..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You will have to put them in until they do it themselves unfortunately.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I just keep putting them in. I'm constructing a roof over half the run and have covered it with a tarp right now. Since then they have gotten stubborn about going to bed on their own, so back to putting them in manually.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is it dark at 8:30 where you're at? Chickens can't tell time but their instincts will tell them to seek shelter at nightfall. I don't know if your birds are young or older, or it you homed them to the coop... if they're young and have not been homed to the coop yes you'll probably need to put them in until they learn to do it themselves.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you had them in a brooder box, put the brooder box on its side and the chicks will often huddle together at dark. Then just lift the box and put them all in the coop. A few times of waking up in the coop is generally all they need.

 

[aart]

Hi, we just got our coop done and moved every one out last night. At 830, I would like them to put themselves to bed. How do I get them to do that on their own? It's so hard putting them in the coop myself. If there are any ideas, please let me know. Thank you all so much!!

Leave them confined to the coop for a week to 'home' them.
Even then they often won't go up by themselves.
A battery powered puck light can draw them into the coop at dusk,
turn it on an hour before 'bedtime', then turn it off when you lock up after dark.
Knowing more about:
-your flock size(numbers, ages, genders),
-our coop(size in feet by feet with pics),
would help.

Oh, and....Welcome to BYC! @Squeeker12
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[Ribh]

I'm assuming you are in America & in summer. Your chookies will stay out for as long as they have enough light to see by but will seek to roost on dusk. Any stragglers will be easier to catch & pop on a roost then.

 

[Taj_MaChicken]

We left ours shut up in the coop for a week after we moved them so they realized that was home. Boy, were they ready to run outside after that!

We're about a week into training them to go inside at bedtime. Most of them head in a few minutes before we start telling them now, but we still have a couple stubborn stragglers. We repeat the same phrase, shake the treat container, and throw treats out for them inside the coop at bedtime.

It seems to he working.