How do I put the chickens up in thier coop while there is still daylight?

[hen howitzer]

My wife and I work graveyard, and are having a tough time getting the chickens to go into thier coop when we leave for work and it's still daylight out. We have two sets of chickens, the older ones come to me and are like pets, the younger ones we got this year all hide. If we put treats in the coop the older ones run in and wont let the youngsters in. Were down to chasing the young ones around. It's taking forever and very trying on all of our nerves (chickens and people) and I'm afraid that they are going to get hurt. They have the run of a large part of our backyard so we can't leave them out or they are going to get eaten by a predator. Any ideas out there?

 

[DanEP]

If you have a run you might giving the older girls treats in the coop and the younger ones treats in the run.Then if your run is secure you could just leave the pop door open and let the youngsters go in at dark.once they grow up and are accepted by the big girls then go back to treats in the coop only.This will get them to go in anytime you need them too.

 

[hen howitzer]

They all go in together when it gets dark, but we have to leave for work during the week before it gets dark and we can only get the adults to go in for treats. We don't keep them in a run but a large open area. I had my dog try to help me heard them, but she's not interested in the chickens and they seem to know it too.

 

[coffeenutdesign]

I have older hens and younger, but I have my coop separated. I free range them during the day, but only refill their feeders in the evening. I fill the feed buckets in each side of the coop even if they still have feed left in it and then toss some scratch in one side and then the other. I had to start putting mine up earlier in the day because a coyote ran up in the early evening and snatched up one of my hens right next to the house. If you can put 2 separate entrances to the coop and divide it somehow, maybe that would work?