How do you get free ranging chickens/hens to go in the COOP?

[FloodFarms]

I am VERY new to this ... my dad has several chickens and hens that are free ranging. I have never seen them in the shed/coop he first had, and I'm concerned that once I'm done building the larger COOP he wasn't able to finish, we won't be able to get them to go in at night. Is there a process? Or do they just hop on in on their own? The COOP he started is about 2 steps off the ground where the door is. Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You have to lock them in for a few days so they know where a safe place to sleep is. Then they'll put themselves to bed at dusk.

Depending on how high the door is, they may need steps or a ramp.

 

[FloodFarms]

You have to lock them in for a few days so they know where a safe place to sleep is. Then they'll put themselves to bed at dusk.

Depending on how high the door is, they may need steps or a ramp.

We are putting in steps ... for us humans as well as them. Will this be enough? How do I catch them to get them in the COOP initially? LOL

 

[sawilliams]

Catching and locking them up is faster but can be difficult since you need to catch then at dusk and some might roost higher in trees. The slow way would be start by feeding them by the new pen/coop. Then in the pen then in the coop. They will go where food is and where they feel safe. Once most are roosting in the coop you can try to find and move the others to the coop. Then once you have them all in start lock down for a 1-2 weeks (no free ranging) once they decide that's home they almost always come back. If one trys to roost else where find it put it back in the coop and lock down for a few days to a week

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They're easy to catch after dark. Just pluck them off their bush or tree branch.

 

[sawilliams]

You can also start training them to come to meal worms... they quickly learn the bag (or even a call) mean treats. I often use meal worms, they will follow you almost anywhere if it means treats

 

[LaurEliz]

Mine usually will go into the coop by themselves when it starts to get dark, but before they had matured, they were all locked in there for weeks without getting to go outside. We feed them inside also, so when they hear the sound of the tin trash can we keep the feed in, they run in, and if they hear me opening the door to go in, they run in. Our coop has a human door, an inside part the chickens don't have access too, a smaller part for our chicks, and the larger part with nesting boxes and a roost. Usually by the time they all hear the first door opening, the trash can opening, and the second door to gain access to the part of the coop they go in opening, they are all safely inside. Mine get fed table scraps and free range, but the only time they get fed their actual feed is when they go in at night. I've never had issues getting any of them to go in, even when it's still daylight and they hadn't started to go on their own yet.

I can also get mine to come to me, in the coop or not, just by yelling "Chickens!" because I often will yell at them when I feed them either their feed or table scrap treats. Food is the easiest way I have found to train any animal, chickens included.

 

[merrymutts]

mine are coop trained already but are only allowed to free range for a few hours every now and again because we do have predators and I don't want to lose any of the ladies this year. When the chicks are old enough to integrate into the flock, everyone will be on lockdown till the babies learn the routine from the older birds

 

[jp57]

My girls free range all day, but go into the coop at night. The only problem I have is them fighting with each other to get in.

 

[featherhead007]

We are putting in steps ... for us humans as well as them. Will this be enough? How do I catch them to get them in the COOP initially? LOL

Patience, patience, ...... wait for it........Patience!