**Help Getting Them In The Coop @ Night!!!!!

[gritsar]

I had no problem getting mine to go back to the coop at night to roost. Why? They were locked in it for two weeks at first. It trained their itty bitty brains to think of the coop as a safe home. I have never had a chicken not return to the coop at night.

 

[lleighmay]

Myabe this will help.... I work shift work and so was worried about trying to send them to bed before they were ready to go. The thought about chasing them around their sizable run was just too much for me. I now use a two-fold method- call them into the coop with some scratch for a snack (most of them go) and (for those who don't want to go) I use the "chicken finger"- a 6 ft lightweight branch festooned with a plastic grocery bag. I shake it behind them until they go inside... it looks much less idiotic (and is much more effective) than runnig around the pen flapping my arms......

 

[jvls1942]

I read only the first 3 posts, so if this has been resolved you need not read this..

chickens will go the light. make the inside of your coop lighter than the outside.. put a light on inside the coop and turn it off when you lock the door for the night..

another tip: If you ever have to herd fowl in the dark, use a flashlight and shine it where you want them to go.. do not shine it directly at the birds.. with minimal coaxing they will go toward the light..

 

[Lunachick]

Quote:
What a great idea, I can see myself doing that.......

I'm definetely trying that on my stubborn little ones.

 

[kristen2678]

It took mine 2 weeks of putting them in at night to catch on. they were about 3 weeks when they moved outside and were about 5 weeks when they began putting themselves to bed. You're almost there.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I'm with gritsar. I left my girls in the coop for about a week before ever letting them out. It was hot so I put wire over the pop door and my door so they could see out and catch a breeze. then I would take off the wire and lock them in at night. I have never had to chase a chicken or put them up by hand. When it hits dusk they all march in by themselves.

 

[cmom]

I shut my birds in their coop for a few days. Also every evening about the time I would want them in the coop I would take some treats out to them and give them the treats in their coop. After I let them out I continued the treats in the coop in the evenings. They started going into the coop at night and I would shut their pop door after everyone was in for their treats. I gave them scratch grains as I tried bread which is one of their favorites but they would run out with the pieces. Slowly I cut back on the treats. Now they go in their coop before dark. In the beginning I would round them up and put them in their coop but that got old pretty quickly. Also I have a night light in their coop. I think the light helps.

 

[Kansaseq]

I use the bribery/treat method, too. Whole wheat bread (not a lot, I know it's not good for them) tossed closer and closer to the coop, then inside, usually does the trick. Lure and grab the resistant ones and physically place them inside. It's funny and frustrating how there always seem to be holdouts who will make a break for it. My NHR always rushes the door at the last moment. She's such a rebel!

 

[raspeary]

Quote:
I had 4 chickens do the same thing. Mine were the cornish rocks that did that. They lay in the corner closest to our garage where the light is left on for me when I get home from work. Every night I had to pick them up from the front corner and put them in the coop. Now my other chickens went in after a couple of days. I put a flashlight that was on in the coop for a few minutes before I wanted them in, and that did the trick for my buffs and rhode island reds.

 

[ShaggysGirl]

When I 1st put our chicks outside they stayed in the coop for a few days. Then we had to physically put 6 of them outside, it took about a week for them all to finally go out. Now as soon as we open their little door they all run out as fast as they can.

Now as for going back in the coop at night. I have a red light for them at night and a spiral day light one that I turn on for them in the am incase it gets gloomy in there.

The other day we forgot to turn on the day time light and by the time we got out to lock them in it was already dark, pitch black in the garage and coop areas and in the little hen door was 4 little chicken butts and on the outside of the door right next to their little ramp was the other 12 chicks all snoozing. So I just picked each up and tossed them in the door

So I suggest putting a light in the coop if you don't want it on all day have a timer so it comes on when it starts to get dusk and they should go in.