How to get chickens in the coop at night

[chicks4mom]

By George...I think they've got it!! When I went to put them in the coop tonight (past sunset) they were all sitting just inside the coop! YAY!! No more chasing and chicken wrangling! I am one happy chicken momma!

 

[cjpines]

Your coop looks small for six chickens, We have twice that space, and ours is smaller than I would like.....for the same amount of chickens. Could they be feeling crowded? Coop space is different than run space. Ours also has a window that is 30 inches x 18 inches.....so plenty of light.

Try training them with treats. Throw a handful of scratch/worms/their favorite in the coop every evening. They will quickly learn they get treats if they come to the coop at night.

Hi from a Sonoma cty, lived there for 23 years. My question is, I have the same problem getting my 5 birds in even at 8PM. I give them treats at around 4ish. Should I stop that and give them the treats at bed time? They don't like to come in before 8:30 or 9ish.

My dilemma is: I have to hire a pet sitter when we go away to put the chickens in at night and out in am. I can't find, even a neighbor, who wants to come over at 9PM. We don't have a covered roof over the run, if we did could we leave them out all night and they would come and go?

 

[Peeps61]

My hens like to stay out late since we have a bright light on the side of the barn and they can hawk the bugs that fly around there. I take out some loaf bread or meal worms and let the hens know I have it by shaking the bag. They all come running for the run/coop and go right in. I feed them the treats and then lock them in for the evening. I used to have to chase mine until we got that little routine worked out. Most go in when it gets dark, but the few that like the bright light and insects need a little more motivation.

If you need to go out of town and you can't get a pet sitter, then you should cover your run and lock them in with plenty of food and water and have someone check on them, but not let them out to range. That's what we do. They don't like being confined, but it's better than them getting eaten!

 

[cjpines]

My hens like to stay out late since we have a bright light on the side of the barn and they can hawk the bugs that fly around there. I take out some loaf bread or meal worms and let the hens know I have it by shaking the bag. They all come running for the run/coop and go right in. I feed them the treats and then lock them in for the evening. I used to have to chase mine until we got that little routine worked out. Most go in when it gets dark, but the few that like the bright light and insects need a little more motivation.

If you need to go out of town and you can't get a pet sitter, then you should cover your run and lock them in with plenty of food and water and have someone check on them, but not let them out to range. That's what we do. They don't like being confined, but it's better than them getting eaten!

Good suggestion. I have hired a pet sitter for over night which is costing us a fortune because of the chickens. Am and PM. She will be here for dusk and early Am for chicks. We have no family nearby, and our neighbor can't come over at 9ish and get them in.

Our coop is too small to keep them in with the hot weather.

Well, we love them and we probably will stay home more often.

 

[Peeps61]

I understand! We have horse and dogs as well as chickens. I usually have my daughter drop by and check on everything once every two days. We're set up for maximum ease with our livestock, poultry and pets. We are not ususally gone more than a week when we leave town anyway.

 

[cindi41]

You def. want them in the coop at night. I had the same problem with 4 newbies i added to my existing flock of 4. they all roam freely, and per the natural assimilation process, the older ones aren't that kind to the youngsters. So, the babes started roosting in the thicket along the edge of their pen at night. We retrieved them, put them in the coop, but one in a particular was stubborn, and the others kept following. The thorny, thick brush seemed safe enough, as the chix sat about 5 feet off the ground. However, after they'd had about 3 nights outside all night, on the 4th I was awakened to blood curdling screams: chicken. Long story short, a possum had found the babies and attacked one, others hid and resurfaced in the morning. All turned out to be fine after a rather crazy hour in the middle of the night.

The next day i did not let the babies roam, stayed in the pen. That night 1 of the babies got it already, and had gone in the coop on her own. The other 3 roamed the pen contemplating the bush, but we grabbed them and put them in the coop before dusk. Last two nights they're back on track, went inside with the others on their own.

Repetition is the key with chickens. They are creatures of habit. So if they start forming a bad one, some corrective repetition can often get them back on track pretty fast.

 

[christine764]

I was just going to post about this same problem. I'm chasing them around the orchard for at least a half an hour but I always try before the sun goes down because I just want to go inside and relax! My husband, however, had chickens as a kid and did say the same thing - that they would be easy to get in their coop (or they will go by themselves) if it's completely dark. I'll try it tonight and report back!

 

[christine764]

I have to laugh - as I'm chasing the chickens around my husband laughed and reminded me of the first "Rocky" movie when "Rocky" was chasing chickens for training. It isn't easy!!! I use a wire cage to trap them now but, again, I'm hoping the sun going down works better!

 

[cjpines]

I have to laugh - as I'm chasing the chickens around my husband laughed and reminded me of the first "Rocky" movie when "Rocky" was chasing chickens for training. It isn't easy!!! I use a wire cage to trap them now but, again, I'm hoping the sun going down works better!

Our chickens are in a very large run, so they are easy to get in. At first they wouldn't go in, then I started coaxing them in by sprinkling scratch on the coop floor. Now they come running in.

How about putting scratch in a bucket that makes noise when you shake it, if one comes over, feed some out of your hand. Maybe the rest will catch on and possibly over time all will come to the sound of scratch rattling, then walk into the coop and toss on floor. Just a thought.

 

[cjpines]

Our chickens are in a very large run, so they are easy to get in. At first they wouldn't go in, then I started coaxing them in by sprinkling scratch on the coop floor. Now they come running in.

How about putting scratch in a bucket that makes noise when you shake it, if one comes over, feed some out of your hand. Maybe the rest will catch on and possibly over time all will come to the sound of scratch rattling, then walk into the coop and toss on floor. Just a thought.

And I agree, I want them in earlier than dark. But, winter is coming and it will be dark at 5PM.