Homemade scratch??

[samiamsam]

My chickens are 6-8 weeks old and just spent their first night out in the coop, successfully, it's finally warm enough! I want to train them to go into the coop at dusk. Should I make a scratch recipe to lure them in at the same time every day and they'll learn? What's a good recipe for scratch? Or should I just buy some at the store? Thanks!

 

[Rod-T]

You can just put them in at night close pop door. . Let them out in morning. . I'm sure after a week they will just do it on there own

 

[Chickens-2016]

Mine are 6 weeks, just turned 6 weeks. I put them out during the day but bring them in at night because they seemed to be cold and they were chirping loud. How did you transition?

 

[samiamsam]

I was putting them out during the day and bringing them in at night as well. It just warmed up here in Indiana finally to 80 during the day and 62 at night which is probably about the coldest they could do at 6 weeks. I was bringing them in and out twice a day, but then I just started leaving them out all day. I shut them up in the coop for a couple hours in between me leaving for work and my partner getting home who would let them out again, so they could experience that. I think if they're chirping loudly and seem cold you're doing the right thing bringing them in. How many do you have? We have 6 and their coop has straw so they can keep each other warm and the straw helps. But once it's consistently 60-65 at night and warmer during the day they should be fine outside.

 

[Yvonne1]

Mine went in on their own on the third night. First and second nights we "gathered" them up and "walked" them up the ramp. During their second day in the run, a couple of them investigated and trialed the ramp.
When I went out on night 3 at dusk to put them in for the night, they were already up on their roosts! Happy momma!!

 

[BruceAZ]

My chickens are 6-8 weeks old and just spent their first night out in the coop, successfully, it's finally warm enough! I want to train them to go into the coop at dusk. Should I make a scratch recipe to lure them in at the same time every day and they'll learn? What's a good recipe for scratch? Or should I just buy some at the store? Thanks!

if you have to buy... check a local farm or buyer club

like around here they have this place
http://www.phoenixorganicfeed.com/prices.html

 

[MeepBeep]

Since it's only a treat, it's much easier and generally cheaper to just by some...

If you can't find it locally just get some cheap wild bird seed mix or use just straight up cracked corn that can be had cheap at most stores...

i actually use Walmart's cheap chicken scratch as my wild bird food, just mix in some BOSS and it's about half the price of equivalent wild bird seed, and the local wild birds don't complain...