How to get chickens in the coop at night

[Farm Sweet Farm]

We get scratch in a cup ( my chickens LOVE scratch) and when we shake it, they come running. We just sprinkle some in the coop and they go in. This may take some training, but it has saved us a lot of time!

 

[Manyana]

Ours went in like a dream today. They have learnt the routine of that bit of scratch in the dish as they go away.

Had to put them away early as we are going out. One which I'm naming "Amelia" is pretty flighty and has been getting out of the area where we have been letting them out into during the day..... "Brewster" the Rooster hasn't been inside with them yet, but his presence in the garden was enough to have Amelia hopping right back into where she was supposed to be.

Trimming the feathers on one wing has been suggested to me.....but I am declining that suggestion as in our rainforest edge abode, they may need to be able to fly out of danger and I'd be sorry if something that I did to them took away the option of full and comfortable movement.

I've been having fun coming up with likely names for all of our chickens...... going to be lots of fun.

 

[chixcoop]

Mine 6 barred rocks just go into the coop after it gets dark. I leave it open til 9 oclock or so, and they all wander into it.

 

[cjpines]

I do the same thing as Farm sweet Farm does. Scratch in a cup, jiggle and put the cup in the coop. They come running.

 

[Manyana]

my ladies are all now going into the coop just before the sun hits the deck. No hassle just in and up on the roost. It took a few weeks of going in after dark with a torch to get them up on the roost but now its just natural for them to do so.