Chickens will not go inside at dark!

[denco5]

I have twelve 6 week old hens. They have been in the coop for 4 weeks now and now I let them out in the run for the past 2 weeks. When it gets dark they stay outside in the run. Will they learn to go in at night or do they have to be taught?

 

[swimmer]

It took my girls a week or so of me going out at dusk and putting them in the coop and shutting them in. Otherwise they would stay in the run and huddle in a corner. My guess is they would have figured it out in time, but didn't want to leave them out at night. So I would put them in every night, and one night you'll go out, and they'll be in all by themselves! Good luck.

 

[Aria]

We let our Silkie Chickens out around noon and leave the door to the Barn open. They go in and out. At dusk they go in by themselves and I just go down to close the door.

That was great. We had Call Ducks and every night we would need to DRIVE them in they NEVER went in by themselves.

I was so happy we decided to go Chickens. They are much easier. Aria

 

[seminolewind]

Yup, sometimes you just have to put them to bed for a while , then they catch on.

 

[nanawendy]

Maybe a light might entice them to come in.

 

[Jasmine1998]

You can always bribe them too to come in at night....a few nights of getting strawberries in the coop at bedtime worked for mine. They have not gotten their bedtime snack in months but they still hop right in at dusk.

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

I leave a light on and when it gets dark they just go right in. Then we turn the light off and lock them in for the night.

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

I leave a light on and when it gets dark they just go right in. Then we turn the light off and lock them in for the night.

 

[5isenough]

I had the same problem, and I put a "tap light" in the henhouse. The light runs on AA batteries and attaches with adhesive to the wall of the coop. I usually let my chicks out in the evening about an hour before dark to free range, and after I put the light in, they went right in. I got the lights at Radio Shack for about $10.00 for three lights. Works great!

 

[sharol]

x3 on the light. I use a tiny solar light that recharges outside during the day (got it at Walmart). If it is lighter inside than outside, they put themselves to bed.