Do you have pictures of your set up? How tall are your fences? Can you clip some of the feathers off of one wing so they can't fly out? I have 6 foot fences and some still fly out! so I clipped wing feathers and now they can't fly out.
They need to spend more time in the coop in a lock down for a week to 2 weeks just to let them know where home is. They will want to come out sure and not want to be penned up. How big is the coop area? Go in and stir it up and make them remodel. Go in and shut the pop door and force them to interact with you and that the area there in is there with giving treats. I sit and pet them in the coop during and after the first week. I still go in and let them climb on pants and arms for treats. This is the time for the to learn that this is the safe house and where they run to/ Make it comfy with perches and branches to hang out on.
Are they allowed to go in and out as they please? If they are and just wont go in at night it is most likely because they are afraid of the unknown in the dark. If this seems like the case try putting a light in their coop and then turn it off when they are all set for the night.
Yep, try the light, mine used to hate any "dark corners", although our garden is terrifying enough for anything as small as they they're usually running for shelter at night fall They'll get used to it, don't worry. It takes them a while
Quote:x2 Mine did the same thing. I thought they'd naturally know to go into the coop at night (and I had a light on in the coop, as well!) Nevertheless, they'd stay out in the run, into the darkness. I locked them in the coop for a few days (about 4) and, for mine, that was enough time to get them used to their new home and recognize it as the safe zone at night. The first day I opened the pop door, I did it a few hours before sunset. Amazingly, at dusk they began their pre-bedtime chatter and finally all piled up into the coop for the night! Haven't had a problem since. Unfortunately now, by the time I get home from work it's dark and they're all in the coop, so I don't have as much "quality time" with my girls! LOL
Put a light in the house so they have something to head for when it gets dark. An easy solution is to get one of those stick on LED lights that you press to turn on. Stick one in the house, turn it on at dusk, and see if this gets them to move inside. After you've done that for several nights you can try skipping the light and see if they've trained themselves to go inside.
when I had my chicks and this is the first time at this I had no clue on chicks THANK THE GODS there are sites like thi. Anyhow my chicken would not go into the coop. I had them inside since it was cold and by the time it was warm enough they had all there feathers. I had them in a clothes basket and at night I blocked the way out and put everyone in the clothes basket next morning I let them all out this is how it went for 3 weeks I think then when they were about 2 months I don't recall but they got the idea to go into the coop and go to bed. I also watch each night, I still watch sometimes to see everyone is in bed. I have two other that will not go in I got them as adults and they ather pech then go to shelter go figure. Don't fret they wil get the hand of it try puting them in and blocking the way out I am sure they will learn fast. Rhayden
