Chickens want to sleep outside Coop........

[nickmancity]

every night around 6pm my 6 x 9 week old chickens will snuggle together and look set to spend the night about 4 foot from their coop, i have to put them to bed by hand .......how can i get them to go in on their own without me being around when im on shifts ect ?

 

[goldfinches]

Mine like to roost in the trees near their coop. I still fight the battle with them occasionally. But, the general population her agrees the best thing to do is to keep them in their coop for a couple of days. I have to do that occasionally, it is like they forget they're supposed to sleep in there. Basically, don't let them out in the morning and wait a day or two, let them out, then see if they coop at night.

If you are around for a night, you can try throwing a treat like a handful of scratch in the coop, get them to go in after it, and shut them up. That way, they're walking themselves in there instead of being carried into there.