How to get chickens to return to coop

[blueberrysilky]

I want to let my chickens out this evening, they are 7 months old and one is almost a year old. There are only two of them ( currently ) and they both aren't to find of me picking them up. What do I do, is there some sort of ritual ( ok that was a little funky

)? What should I do?
Thanks

 

[Hands On Dad]

I have a flock of 8 that I let out for hours at a time. They wander all over the place, under the shed, in the woods, chasing each other around. I put their scratch in a old butter tub and as I'm walking out to the coop I just start shaking it. It didn't take long for them to know what that sound was! They all come running. I just throw a small bit in the run and they all just run in and I shut the door behind them. That's the only treats they get and it's a small amount, but that's how I've learned to corral mine.

 

[snow5164]

I want to let my chickens out this evening, they are 7 months old and one is almost a year old. There are only two of them ( currently ) and they both aren't to find of me picking them up. What do I do, is there some sort of ritual ( ok that was a little funky

)? What should I do?
Thanks

The best thing I was told to do from early on is sit down and let them come to you.its the same with all creatures get a treat or something they really want and sit down at their level( your not so scarey) put some seeds , meal worms or lettuce on your legs and they will come..... It takes time but they will come to you and see you as the treat giver,
Good luck

Then you can slowly pet their chest and back as they get comfortable with you

 

[blueberrysilky]

Thanks everyone, tommorow evening I plan on letting them come out. I'll try to bond with them, and later on ill lure them back in the run.
Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[DanEP]

Corralling chickens is like herding cats, it don't work. If your chickens have been in their coop for a while they already think of it as home and will put themselves to bed but on their schedule not yours. Try just sitting down and watch them, most will start hanging around outside the run 30-60 minutes before dark and will eventually go on in if nothing gives them a reason to start running around again. Also the younger the bird the later they will want to stay out and play just like kids. It seems like by the time they are a year old they go to bed early. It just seems like a lot of people want to chase the birds into their run to make sure their safe and might be better off letting the birds put themselves up.
When you first start letting your girls out let them out about an hour before dark and watch them.They won't go far and will probably put themselves up. Once you get a routine going you can start letting them out earlier gradually increasing the time they free range. Just be prepared I have never raised a flock that didn't have one dufus that couldn't find the run door the first day or two. I also only feed treats in the run so if you need to lock them up early they will follow you into the run.

 

[Chaos18]

When I moved my flock of 7out to the big coop I locked them in it for about a week. When I started letting them out I would just let them out into there run. The first night I had to throw a couple of them back in the coop at dark. The same for the second night, but after that they would put themselves to bed right around dark (8:30-8:45). Now I can let tem out to free ran the property in the morning hen I wake up and they will put themselves back in there run and coop at night....they will return to the run periodically throughout the day to dust bathe and hang out in the shade.

 

[FarmerMac]

When I moved my flock of 7out to the big coop I locked them in it for about a week. When I started letting them out I would just let them out into there run. The first night I had to throw a couple of them back in the coop at dark. The same for the second night, but after that they would put themselves to bed right around dark (8:30-8:45). Now I can let tem out to free ran the property in the morning hen I wake up and they will put themselves back in there run and coop at night....they will return to the run periodically throughout the day to dust bathe and hang out in the shade.

I have to do the similar thing when I move my juvenile chickens to a bigger coop. I keep them in the coop for a few days and then let them out. The first night I have to show them where they need to go and perch. The next night some will go by them selves, other will hang outside and I have to pick them up and put them in the coop. Some will go to the adult coop but the older chicken will peck at them so they get out quickly. After the third day they get it and climb the ramp to the coop with no help.

"Blueberrysilky"
I have conditioned my flock to come when I call them. When they are babies, I make a clucking sound every time I give them food. The sound is similar to the one the rooster make when he provides food to the hens They learned to associate the clucking sound to food so when I cluck, they come running from the woods. I make sure to give them some type of treat when I call them so they don't forget. It is like that experiment of "Pavlov's dog", the guy rang the bell and the dog salivated because food was provided.

 

[StephfromCarp]

I have a flock of 8 that I let out for hours at a time.  They wander all over the place, under the shed, in the woods, chasing each other around.  I put their scratch in a old butter tub and as I'm walking out to the coop I just start shaking it.  It didn't take long for them to know what that sound was!  They all come running.  I just throw a small bit in the run and they all just run in and I shut the door behind them.  That's the only treats they get and it's a small amount, but that's how I've learned to corral mine.  

Sounds like a good strategy for stubborn chickens. What is scratch? Cracked corn?

 

[Hands On Dad]

Corn, sunflower seeds, other goodies. Just something to keep them busy "scratching" at the ground. Comes in a bag next to the feed. They only get a little, because it's not very nutritious. Kind of like candy to a kid.

 

[blueberrysilky]

Thanks for everyones response, I let them out this evening for about an hour, I lired them in with their everyday feed. Tommorow I will let them go in on their own since they will probably be expecting feed in the run.

Thanks everyone!