How do I get them back in ?

[ebertschic]

Thanks in advance for the help

We finished building our coop (no run yet, still working on that) just before memorial day weekend and my chicks have been in there since. They are now 10 weeks old and I've been letting them out every other day for an hour or so. Getting them back in is a project. Me and my 3 daughters are chasing around our 7 chickens for an hour trying to get them back in while my husband is laughing at us. We'd definitely win the Funniest Home Video Award if he was recording us.

I'm affraid to wait until the sun goes down to see if they'll go in there on their own because we have no lights out there. How would we find them in the dark if they didn't go in by themselves?

My girls have a name for each one of them and would be crushed if a preditor got one (we live deep in the woods).

Also, any time I give them a treat I say "Here Pretty Girls". I've tried saying that with a treat to get them back in their coop, but they're not that bright I guess.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Judy]

Keep up the training with the treats and the "here pretty girls." It's the only thing I know of that makes it easy.

The question is, would they go in at dusk? They might fight it like crazy at 3 PM yet go on their own at sundown.

 

[hilaryhake]

I would just wait til later in the day. 3pm is pretty early to make them go back in. At their age, they should be going in on their own and if their not, it's because they aren't ready to. Do they tend to stay in a flock when they are out or do they spread out? You might try shaking whatever it is you use to feed them every time you feed them and then at night when you are ready for them to go in, shaking a can or whatever of feed to get them to follow you. Personally, I clap and say "Come here babies" and they come running to me. My chickens are very tame though and still see me as mama lol. They will follow me everywhere I go so getting mine in is easy. I guess the key is to just be consistent with whatever you choose to do.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

You could try some combination of treats and herding. Set up a place that you can corner them. Maybe you have some of chicken wire or welded wire on hand that will be used for the run that you can stake up in a U shape at the side of the coop. A folding dog exercise pen works great for this, too. Then try throwing the treats toward the opening of the U shape and slowly ( so as not to scare them into running) close in on them as a group. Hopefully most of them will be cornered in the area and not be able to run away and you can pick them up without all the chasing. I have certainly done my share of chicken chasing, but using this strategy has at least cut down on the effort I have had to put into it.

 

[ebertschic]

Update: You guys were right, I stopped trying so hard to get them in and don't you know, they go in all by themselves. What a shock.

My rooster comes to me right away when I call him, but the girls don't listen...which worried me when trying to get them in. So, I didn't even try one night and come 6 or 7pm, they were all in there roosting. That's the way it's been ever since.

Thanks for the help