Free Range chicks?

[Dottie Pratt]

I'm very new to having chicks. My Question is what time is best to get chicks back in the coop? We have been trying around 5:30 Central time. And having quite a time!!! Coulsd someone please tell me.

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

I free range. I usually feed mine in the evening pretty regularly at the same time each evening. If I call them,and they see me coming with the feed,and water,they usually come running. I've had a few independent type birds,that were a pain once in awhile,and had to herd them in.

I guess the main thing is to keep a pretty consistant time.The feed is an incentive.

Good Luck! Hope this helps.

 

[Reinbeau]

Why not just let them go in when they want to? They'll all march right into the coop at sundown. Works every single night for me, no treats, no cajoling, no chasing.

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

It's fine if you don't have any preditors. We have a fox that comes around sometimes.So I have learned not to let them out too early,and not to leave them out too late. It's worked pretty well as foxes like to hunt from dusk till dawn. Night shift?

 

[krcote]

mine go in just as the sun starts to set or there is a significant drop in temp. but because they are so food motivated, every time you go out to give them treats call them to get the correlation between your call and food in the works. i just say "chickens!" and they all come running now. this way if you have to get them inside becuase you are going out for the night or a nasty storm is coming they will obey! but do not forget- reward those little buggers for doing what you asked!

 

[ScrambledAcresFarm]

It seems like you should be letting them come in on their own. If after dark they are still out, they should be fairly easy to gather by picking them off their perches. They should after awhile get the idea.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm with Reinbeau, why not just let the chickens put themselves to bed? I've never understood this need to put them in bed before they are ready. Its just so much easier to let them do the thing that comes natural, instead of hitting your head against a wall, or enticing birds with treats when they do it anyway, just a little later in the day. Is it because people want to end their day and don't want to go back outside to pen up chickens? I've always wondered about that.

 

[Dottie Pratt]

Quote:
Thanks for the reponses. Don't know if this message is going out there. I will try to just see what happens tonigtht.

 

[ScrambledAcresFarm]

Another note. If you provide an outdoor wire pen coming off the coop, when you call them and give them treats, toss it in the pen. Come evening, you call them, toss treats in the pen and close the pen. At least then they are safe for the evening and can go inside.

 

[Dottie Pratt]

Quote:
What we have is a 4ft. fence around the coops and they roam around that during the day. In the evening I want them to be safe. So I try calling them in. and the young ones come in but the older ladies don't seem to want to. I have a dog in the pen to at night. So maybe they would be ok to leave out. That is if they are being stubrom. Husband hates to try to herd them in.