!HELP! how do I get my chickens in the coop for the night

[toysmom]

I leave my chicken's feed inside the coop, that way it does not get wet or damp.

 

[spiritdance]

Train them with some scratch grains or another favorite treat and link the treat to a call they can learn to come to. My flock knows when I call "chick chick chick" that yummy things are on the way, so they come running. You can start doing this right before bedtime and tossing the grains in the coop for them. This will also get them to turn over the bedding so it can dry out easily. Once you train them, you can call them up whenever you need to (say, to worm them or treat for mites, etc.) without stressing you or the birds.

 

[larsonll]

Quote:
I need to do this.

 

[kimisfishing]

Thank you all, I love all the tips, I will be using them to train the chickes, and am glad for the encouragement, this is the most fun I have had in a long time,

 

[branston]

I throw sratch in the run to get them in. Same time every night. 5 30pm in the winter hours and 7 30pm in the summer. I call them "C'mom, c'mon, chick, chick, chickens" and they usually come running. Some nights they beat me to it and are already waiting in the run. Once they're all in the run, I close the run door and leave them to go in the coop at their will. They're usually in the coop 30 minutes after eating the scratch, then I go lock them in for the night

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
That is probably the problem, you could leave them in there for a few days and not let them out. Then after a few days only let them out one hour before it gets dark, slowly increase their time outside, they just have not figured out that is where they sleep.

 

[toysmom]

When I get new chicks, I leave them in the coop with food and water for about a week. That teaches the chicks that this is home. I personally leave their food in the coop all the time, this makes sure that their feed stays dry.

 

[Me & Jack]

Just curious, but what kind of chickens are these? I have always had this problem with my Silkies -- they just take such a long time to "get it".