Can you teach a chicken to return to the coop?

[hollophil]

I would like to be able to let my beautiful young chickens roam in the yard while I work but I am worried about getting them back to the coop.

Any ideas for getting them to return to the coop on command

 

[fivestring]

Mine always come home to roost at dusk but you may be able to get them in the coop with some treats. Mine love bread crumbs or scrambled egg crumbs.

 

[Imp]

You can try bribing them with treats, or chasing them. If you do have to chase them hold long sticks in each hand to extend your arms.

Imp

 

[Lobzi]

Try meal worms to bribe them. Mine have gotten so that if I have a plastic container in my hands and go into the pen they come running in after me.

 

[hinkjc]

I find getting them used to their coop as home is the first step. Once they've been in their coop for several weeks, they find it a safety zone and will want to go there to feel safe (especially at night). If they "know" their coop and find it safe, they will return at dusk for bed.

 

[red46]

If they are very young, you may have to spend 3 or 4 nights, training them. I simply had to usher my girls up the ramp, just at dusk. I also let them keep a lamp at bedtime because they weren't going in, early enough to see inside.
With 100 hens, it was quite a fight, for awhile, but they finally caught on and I don't have to watch after them any more.

If they are mature birds, the old farmers rule of thumb is 3 days. This, I've also done before. Mature birds like going back to familiar surroundings, at bedtime. All you have to do, is close them up in the coop for 3 days, and they should go in at night, from then on.

judy

 

[Pug Momma]

I started giving them treats at dusk when I moved them into their coops when they were small - an ear of corn, or some carrot foliage or something and I use the same tone of voice and words every time - so they know the tone matches with the words matches with treats.
They come bounding across the yard so quick - last Sunday they actually stepped on each other. It was hysterical. I also give them whey from batches of cheese that I make, or the meal worms.
I put their treats in the same place every night, too -
Ritual, ritual, ritual...

 

[hollophil]

Thanks so much everyone for the great suggestions. I particularly like the one suggesting long poles. I visualize having gloves on the ends of the poles to look like a set of hands...lol...

I think I will try training them with the meal worms and voice since they already fall all over themselves for them. Great suggestions---THANKS!