chickens returning to the coop for the night

[winemakr]

How do I get my hens to go inside the coop for the night? They were introduced to the new coop Sat. the 9th, locked in until the 12th and now the will not return into the coop unless I physically do it myself. Came home late last night and they were all huddled together under the far end of the coop.

 

[CMV]

Have you tried putting a small light in there? They may be afraid to enter it at night if it is too dark. They will figure it out eventually, but it's a nuisance until they do.

Good luck.

 

[jomercer]

I only had to "make" mine go into the coop thefirst night. But I do have one who likes to hang out in the dark long after the others have called it a night. But eventually she, too, heads inside and settles down.

Try this:
*Don't keep them stirred up by checking and rechecking whether they've gone in if it hasn't gotten dark enough for them to want to go inside. They operate by light, not the clock.
*Make sure they have comfortable and adequate roositng space and height in the coop.
*Paint the inside white so it doesn't look so dark.
*Add a small night light to attract them in and then shut it off once they are inside.
*Toss a super yummy treat inside the coop just as it's getting pretty dark and then shut them in once they scarf it down.

 

[BWKatz]

It really has to be dark before they go in and the last few nights have had a full moon that was so bright it still looked like dusk. I had to encourage my chicks to go in even though they normally go straight in. The light in the coop does help them realize its dark out and safe in the coop. I leave my low wattage xmas lights on for an hour to give them all time to find the right spot on the roost and to settle down.

 

[Joe K.]

Iv had to just push them in a few times. But now once its gets dark they go right in.