How do I get them to go into their coop on their own????

[dawnieworld]

My chicks just starting going out. Every night my husband and I have been bringing them in one by one. It's a big pain in the butt to say the least. Will they learn to go in on their own or do I have to do train them some how? Hope this isn't too dumb of a question! I'm a new chicken owner and am trying to figure out alot on my own.

Thanks for your help!!!

 

[Kittymomma]

It's not a dumb question. You need to lock them in for a week or so. After that they'll know the coop is home and will go in on their own at dusk.

 

[dawnieworld]

They were locked in for quite a while before we let them out so they definitely know it's home. We've been putting them in ourselves so I guess I should start letting them figure it out on their own.
Thanks.

 

[FlyingFChick]

I have been having the same problem! The first night they were out, all 10 had to be put back into the coop one by one, just like yours. (They have been in the coop now for 2 weeks). The 2nd night, five went in and we had to catch the other 5. Last night, we had horrible thunder storms. They wouldn't go in the coop. My husband had to get a stick to move them out from under the coop. I stood behind him, caught them and put them in the coop. This was all in the pouring rain!!!

Hopefully tonight they will all go in by themselves. I noticed that they are coming and going from the coop to the run more today than they have in the past. I left their food inside.

I have heard that if you go out after dark they might all be in the coop. Do you have a light on in the coop? I turn mine on right before dusk. We shall see tonight!!

At least it's a nice night for chasing chickens! lol

 

[yotetrapper]

You're doing exactly right, Dawnie. Here's what I did. The first two nights I put them in one by one. The next night was predicting bad storms and I wasn't going to be home, so I let their food run out, and then fed them in the coop. They all came running when I poured food in, and I locked them in then. The 4th night, they all went in on their own. Just keep putting them in, thats how you "train" them.

 

[dawnieworld]

UPDATE!.....I am happy to announce ALL 6 chicks went in on their own tonight. They just crack me up! <3

 

[FlyingFChick]

I am so JEALOUS, Dawnieworld!!!

 

[attached_mama]

Quote:
This exactly, down to the rain!

 

[FlyingFChick]

All 10 of mine went in on their own tonight too!!!! All safe and sound!! I am so happy!

 

[caribayb]

I have three Americaunas (one is Frizzle) from the same brood (born Jan 31) and one Cochin, born Jan 1. The Americaunas all go into their second-story hen house (which is inside their spacious coop) at night by themselves. They come and go up and down that ladder all day long. As a matter of fact, they think it's bed time every time I come out of my back door and then they have to come back out of the hen house and down the ladder when they realize I'm not there to make them go to bed. Babette, my Cochin, refuses to go to bed at night on her own, and although she comes down that ladder every morning, she won't go up it on her own. She just plops herself down in the floor of the coop and we have to relocate her every night. This has been doing on two weeks, since we got them. The other three figured out right away that they were supposed to be in there, but Babette just won't do it. Should I be concerned? Their nest boxes are in the hen house, and since she's the oldest, Babette will probably be the one to use it first, but she won't go in by herself. The ladder is not at a steep slope, and it's something she can obviously use coming out of the hen house in the morning. i've never had chickens before and really don't know what to do.