Getting chickens into coop at night.

[Tired old Rooster]

I think the kids need a night light.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

I'm not to experienced in having chickens yet. We just got our free range flock this year but after moving them from the brooder we spent the first 3-4 days putting them inside the coop through the little run door and shutting it (more than 10 birds such a pain x.x) and then after putting them in i went in with some food and water and we have been working with ringing a small bell so they know to come in for food. After those first 3-4 days though I got tired of tossing them in and waited till i noticed they had all gone in to shut them in for the night before feeding and ringing the bell for a week. Since them most come running i may have to usher a few strays but I usually don't go out till 9-9:30pm and their usually almost always in there themselves.

Honestly I don't think lights have anything to do with it. We don't have lights. We also have roosts in our coop and one in our run but if I have to say my advice?

Routine, training and bribery lol. Chickens are food driven. Atleast all the chickens I know lol

Right now I'm facing an issue with 3 birds we added just recently wanting to go in but thats because their not doing to well with joining the flock. Their scared of the other chickens and the gosling. Still sticking to the routine though even if it means picking up the stray birds XD

Also our chicken door isn't even a door its just a thin dresser bottom board between two old floor pieces with the grooves in the sides. But I did hear some people having issues of their birds being scared of the automatic doors.

 

[EliseH]

Tonight is the 1st night in the Coop for my crew. My neighbor said that they will go in when they're ready. But it was pitch black out and I got nervous and put them all in there, hoping that tomorrow they will go in on their own. I got 4 of my 6 Silkies in and my 9 week old Cream Legbar but the Black Copper Marans pullet was all the way under the coop where I couldn't reach her with the 2 smallest Silkies cuddling in the corner. I used a stick to get them to come towards me and placed them in there with the others.
2 of my Silkies are not fully feathered at almost 6 weeks old so I have a radiant heater in there. My neighbor said she leaves the coop door open. That it's warm enough. It's going to be in the 50's at night.
I think in a week or 2, I can remove the heater when the littlest Silkies have all their feathers. But what are your thoughts on leaving the door open?
Photo of them all cuddling before I placed the first 5 in.

 

[rosemarythyme]

But what are your thoughts on leaving the door open?

That is strictly up to you. If you feel the run is predator proof enough, there's no need to close the pop door. I can't tell from your photo if there's a secured apron or not, and I don't know what predators you deal with, but those come into play in assessing security.

As far as going in on their own, have you trained them to use the ramp? Chickens generally need to be taught to use them.

 

[Nomadicus]

No auto doors here and no runs. They all free range and head to the coops as dark comes. I had to learn to just let them go in at dark and not a minute sooner. I don't try and round them up anymore. It's not worth the hassle. I think that having roosts in a run would entice my chickens to stay out in the run.

 

[honeybear527]

We had the same issues with our girls. It took about a week of placing them inside before they figured it out. Another week of placing them on the roost and they are close to figuring it out too. It just took consistency. Once 2 went in one night the other 10 followed the following nights.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Take each peep place them in the lighted coop.
It is not a given they know things have to teach like a child.

 

[EliseH]

That is strictly up to you. If you feel the run is predator proof enough, there's no need to close the pop door. I can't tell from your photo if there's a secured apron or not, and I don't know what predators you deal with, but those come into play in assessing security.

As far as going in on their own, have you trained them to use the ramp? Chickens generally need to be taught to use them.

We have Galvenized Hardware Mesh on order. The run is 36" wide and all I could find was 36" and 24" in the stores. I ordered 48". But the ground is so hard here you need to soak it for around 20 minutes before you can even dig, so hopefully they will be safe until the hardware mesh arrives. Supposed to arrive between the 31st and the 2nd. My main concern about keeping the door to the coop open is the cold. In a few weeks the nights should be a bit warmer.
I have not trained them to go up the ramp. I did modify the ramp so it was easier for the Silkies to climb it.
Today, they were all going up and down the ramp.
I am hoping since they now know where the heater is that they will go in right after the sunsets as the temps drop quickly.
What would training entail?
My neighbor said don't worry they'll go in on their own. They didn't.

 

[EliseH]

No auto doors here and no runs. They all free range and head to the coops as dark comes. I had to learn to just let them go in at dark and not a minute sooner. I don't try and round them up anymore. It's not worth the hassle. I think that having roosts in a run would entice my chickens to stay out in the run.

Wish we could free range but we have lots of predators from Hawks to Mountain Lions, there was even a bear in our neighborhood a few weeks ago.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My main concern about keeping the door to the coop open is the cold. In a few weeks the nights should be a bit warmer.
I have not trained them to go up the ramp. I did modify the ramp so it was easier for the Silkies to climb it.
Today, they were all going up and down the ramp.
I am hoping since they now know where the heater is that they will go in right after the sunsets as the temps drop quickly.
What would training entail?
My neighbor said don't worry they'll go in on their own. They didn't.

How cold is cold? I don't have Silkies so hopefully someone will weigh in with any requirements they have that differ from standard birds.

Since they're using the ramp, the next step is getting them to think of the coop as home, which means you'll need to pick them up and place them inside once it's dark.

In conjunction with both of the above, I'm going to guess your coop is pretty dark inside at sunset and lacking in open ventilation as well, as that is a common issue with prefabs. Chickens cannot see to navigate if it's dark inside, so they won't want to go in, and they need adequate ventilation up high to let moisture and ammonia escape. Depending on your climate, the recommended minimum ventilation is 1 sq ft per standard size bird (so bantams may need a little less) open 24/7.

Wish we could free range but we have lots of predators from Hawks to Mountain Lions, there was even a bear in our neighborhood a few weeks ago.

Bears are pretty tough to predator proof against as anything short of electric can be breached.