Can they be herded back into pen after a short foraging outing?

[booker81]

Yes they will stand at the gate, the little beggars!

Just means you have to give them more treats in the run instead, to help with the guilt

 

[chickfamilyonsleepyhollow]

Quote:
My chickens listen better than my kids and husband do

I agree with using treats to get them back into the coop, although our girls will follow us anywhere around the yard including back into the run even if we don't have treats for them.
We started off letting our girls free-range all day long in our fenced yard but quickly watched the yard get destroyed -- this including eating flowers and vegetables and digging holes to China

we now let them out about 2 hours before sunset -- this gives them enough excercise but minimizes the damage ... we also put chicken wire around our vegetable garden.

 

[aprhardy]

I let mine out only when I am home to keep an eye on them, but if I need to leave, a plastic bowl with Cheerio's in it usually gets them back in their pen with no problems. I usually do my chicken call "here chick chick chick" while shaking the bowl around, the roo's come running like mad birds and then the hens come right behind them. Occasionally I have a straggler who can be coaxed in with some one on one time.

Cheerio's = chicken magic!! I can get mine to do almost anything with just a few Cheerio's!

Hope this helps!

 

[g-momto11]

I will always be outside while they are running loose. The hawk situation is very bad here also. We also have had owls hunt from their perch on the gigantic (1000 ft.) TV towers across the street from my house. There has always been one or two owls using those towers to hunt from, for over 30 years that I've lived here! So night time is just as dangerous or, more-so than daytime around here.

Sheaviance1 wrote;

I have also used the same call when there has been trouble afoot, like a stray dog, but in a different tone. They seemed to recognize it as danger too. They stopped, looked around, spotted the danger, most took off to the coop, a couple came to me and I led them to the coop. I was impressed, as I had never used it as a danger call before. I wonder if that is my "crow"?

I could train them by using my own dog. Every time the dog comes close to them, use the same "alarm" call each time. Of course, every time any other threat approaches, use it then also. That is an idea that could very well save some chicken's lives.​

 

[DenverBird]

We were letting the flock out before sunset when they'd go back in by themselves and wanted some flexibility in the free ranging schedule so we can let them out for during the day when we can watch out for Mr. Fox. I just started training the girls to herd back into the tractor coop using an old 7ft long sunflower stalk. I've been amazed how easy it is now to get them back in after a week or two of consistent herding back to the coop. Sheila the Australorp likes to veer away from the door at the last second to get a lap around the coop before going in but the rest seem to have figured it out.

These hens were not raised by us from chicks and they're not well socialized to humans, however a few of them do come running up when I go out because they expect treats.

-DB

 

[Mattemma]

Sometimes my hens come when I make noise with a bag that they know has treats.Other times I am stuck chasing chickens,and can only catch the hens if they do the squat for mating.

I would say give it a try on days when you don't have to be anywhere and see how it works out. I would let my hens out an hour or 2 before I went to pick up my kids,but now I let them out after I get back with the kids.

Before sunset has worked good for me too. Stay close to your hens. I had a hawk attack mine when I stepped away to close a gate.Sneaky hawk!

 

[ladybug99]

Mine have a really nice run .. but there is nothing in there but sand.. so I feel bad and let them out every once in a while.. I do it about an hour or so before dusk.. they go crazy they love to forage the woods and lawn areas...it seems when the light gets to a certain point in the day they all go running back into the coop instinctively. I let them out yesterday for the whole afternoon they were having a glorious time.. well we wanted to go out for some dinner.. we got half in and the other half would not come then as we went to get the other half the first half all came out very comical indeed.. but we got to that point in the day when the light was just right and they all went right back with out a chase. Mine used to come running to me until I started letting them out.. so I guess it is time to start training them to respond to the coffe can shake.. my group is a very intellegent bunch