how to get chickens in coop

[RioLindoAz]

for all the people that free range your chickens how did you get them in the habbit of getting them back in the coop at night please help me Please

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I've gotten mine used to only getting treats in the coop/run. It only took 3 days of them free ranging to know that when I called for them, they better come running if they wanted a goody.

 

[emma]

After some trial and error i conditioned my chickens to run after bread treats. I throw the bread into the coop and they usually run after it. There is always one that gets confused then I need my husband to herd while I grab her. The hens give me a hard time if it's still too light outside then I have to do alot of running and herding. First thing in the morning I open our gate to our backyard and I toss the bread and they race after it . Then about late afternoon they slowly end up next to the closed gate and I open the gate and toss it into their coop. I don't want them in the front yard because they like to poop all over my deck and walkways.

 

[sweetmama65000]

one thing we do is throw canned corn into the coop. they love it! we they here us call and see that container of corn all but 3 stubern bitties come. but then we use branches and herd them in the pen. it works really really good!

 

[alex]

well mine...sinse i only have 3 i just take them and put them in..but you can take something and scare them in.



alex alex alex

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I usually end up locking mine in for a day every few weeks. Otherwise I end up shaking trees to get them in there.

It does help that I feed them in the coop, though.

 

[okiechick57]

I also use treats now.......... my one older flock of one roo and 4 hens run as fast as they can when they hear me shake the food dish............just let my other 8 out yesterday to free range , including my 4 Guineas....... it took them longer to find the gate

but finally all were in line, poor newbie hens were so confused when their roo started calling for them to come in.and my Mr roo , the older one would start calling his hens to food just outside the coop.........they ran back and forth for about 1/2 hour before I finally got Mr roo to stay INSIDE the coop and call.........they got their excersize for sure and I got entertained watching them..... I worried all day the Guineas would not come home..........but all did and I am going to let them out for the whole day today............use treats everynight and it should work

 

[Pekin Hen]

This may sound wierd but it is realy working for me!

Sometimes i just herd the 10 chickens into the coop or if they are a little hard to herd i just pick them up one by one and put them in the coop( they are very tame and obedient).

Annette.

 

[Country Gal]

Once I moved mine from their brooder into the coop, I only let them into a fenced run for a few weeks. The first couple nights, I had to take a long piece of PVC, feed it through the fencing, and "herd" them back into the coop, but by night 3 they were going in on their own. They were already in the habit of going into the coop at night on their own before I let them start free ranging.

 

[devora]

I kept mine in the coop for two weeks before letting them out to play. When I first began free ranging them (a month ago?) I only let them out an hour or so before sunset. At sunset they all ran to the coop.

There were goofballs who couldn’t figure out how to get back in. But they all wanted to get in.

Gave ‘em treats once they all got in. So far, all is bliss.

Good luck w/ it!