Getting Chickens into their coop

[Whatthecluck16]

Hey, I have 4 11 week old hens which I got three days ago. I've found they are really timid and will go to the other side of their run when I come in and sit and talk to them. When its time for bed, I have a real struggle getting them into their coop. I have to chase them to try and pick them up but I feel like I am causing them distress. I know its early days still and they are quite young and probably havent had much human contact but will they ever learn to go into their coop? I also know they should be roosting on their perch should I put them on there too? I went and looked at them this evening and they are huddled together. Is this normal?

 

[1muttsfan]

Keep them in the coop for 3-4 days and do not let them out - this will teach them where they sleep, and give them a chance to get used to you. Once they are used to sleeping in the coop, you should be able to just let them go in on their own. Shake a can of scratch when you go in, and toss them a little, so they look forward to seeing you. Depending on their age, they may not be roosting yet, but will eventually on their own.

And welcome to BYC

 

[rosemarythyme]

Assuming the coop has enough space to safely lock them in with food and water, that's the easiest way to teach them that that's "home." I only do 2 days but no reason you can't keep them in there a little longer.

I wouldn't worry about the roosting yet, get them to return to the coop nightly and then you can start training them to roost if they don't figure it out on their own.

 

[aart]

Homing them to the coop can really help....but even then.
If coop is 'darkish' even with lots of windows using a small light to lure them in can help.
I use a battery operated puck light, turn it on at dusk, then turn it off when you lock up after dark

 

[Ridgerunner]

My brooder raised chicks typically start to roost around 10 to 12 weeks of age. I've had some start at 5 weeks, some go longer, but 10 to 2 weeks is a good average. The way my coop and roosts are laid out might have something to do with that. You can put them on the roosts at night if you wish, I don't think that will hurt them at all, but I don't bother. They eventually figure it out.

How dark is that run area? If it is fairly dark and you wait until they settle down it's generally pretty easy to catch them and put them in the coop. If they have much light at night that doesn't work as well. I usually have to do this when I move chicks from the brooder to my grow-out coop. Even if I house them in the coop section only for a week or more before I let them in the run they want to sleep on the ground, not in the coop. My coop is elevated, I think that makes a difference. I don't have that with coops on the ground. Sometimes I only have to put them in once and they get the message, but that is really rare. A couple of times it took three weeks, I tend to start with 5 week old chicks. Typically it takes about a week for all of mine to put themselves to bed in the coop. I typically have about 20 chicks in a brood. Each brood is different.

Nothing you describe sounds unusual to me. Patience and consistency are your best friends, whether getting them to go to bed or becoming more friendly. You don't change their behaviors overnight but you can change them.