Going to bed

[Gary palmer]

Ive just started letting my chickens run free in the yard the last two days. Will they automatically go back into the coop at night? Ive been coralling them into the coop just before dark. Some look like they are trying to go to sleep outside.

 

[BYCforlife]

2 of mine always slept outside, until I finally got it in theor heads that they had to sleep inside. They will probably try to sleep outside for a while, especially the omes that come out of the coop first. They want out the most!

 

[Chicken_Guru]

2 of mine always slept outside, until I finally got it in theor heads that they had to sleep inside. They will probably try to sleep outside for a while, especially the omes that come out of the coop first. They want out the most!

What I'm doing for now is keeping them in a little run, and training them to GO IN THE COOP WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, and so far, it is successful. They are so reliable, I don't even have to count how many chickens are in there, I just lock the cage, and when I decide to let them "free roam" they usually go back into the run when I get back in. A problem with this, is that there are barn owls in a tree every other day to every day. Here is a picture of the owl that is stalking my chickens

 

[Pork Pie]

If you suspend a flashlight in the coop, the birds will be encouraged to enter the coop (turn it off, once they are inside). You need only do this for a short time and then you'll have no issues.

 

[aart]

Ive just started letting my chickens run free in the yard the last two days. Will they automatically go back into the coop at night? Ive been coralling them into the coop just before dark. Some look like they are trying to go to sleep outside.

How old are your birds?
How big is your coop and run?
Pics would help.

A dim light in the coop can help, I have a battery operated puck light that I have used to lure the youngsters in.

 

[Patinas]

I kept my flock in the coop for about a week before I gave them access to the run. Once they had access to the run, I kept them in for another 2 weeks to make sure they were going into the coop at night before finally letting them out to free range.

I have never had an issue with them not going back to the coop to roost. They always eventually go in although, there are definitely certain ones that are stragglers and like to stay out later than the majority but they too eventually go home to roost.

Only once have two of them spent the night outside the coop but that's because I closed the run gate too early and didn't do a head count. The next morning when I found them, I figured out they had roosted on top of the nest box lids at the back of the coop. Luckily nothing found them!